


Romeo and Juliet is Bullshit

by StoryBookMuse



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics), Red Robin (Comics), Teen Titans (Comics)
Genre: But it pays off, Eventual Smut, Literary References & Allusions, Lots of back and forth, Lots of challenging stereotypes, Love Triangle, M/M, Mutual Pining, Slow Burn, high school shenanigans, hurt comfort, mentions of prostitution and drug use, not gonna lie, themes of poverty and privilege
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-02
Updated: 2018-06-14
Packaged: 2018-11-22 08:20:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 16
Words: 71,462
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11376288
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StoryBookMuse/pseuds/StoryBookMuse
Summary: Tim is a high school sophomore at Gotham Academy who just volunteered to be a tutor. Jason's an underprivileged junior who's been through a lot. After an embarrassing first impression of each other, Tim buys the hot, but intimidating Jason a burger to make up for it. It's another slow burn tale of love and heartbreak partially inspired by the Bard.





	1. You Can't Spell Assumptions Without an Ass

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, all! I'm excited to start off this new story, and it's gonna be a bit fluffier than I usually write. I'm gonna warn you that I have no beta, so there might be a few grammatical or continuity errors throughout until I find one. Constructive criticism is appreciated, but please keep it constructive. I've got a lot of fun plans for our boys and after the prologue, it's going to get really intense from here on out. 
> 
> Let me now if you guys have any head canons or ideas, I'd love to see what I can stew up and create with you guys! :)

Gotham Academy was a prestigious place, as everyone with a brain could plainly acknowledge. Although it was a _high_ school, it was as well built and endowed as an Ivy League University; from the outside, one could view it's pale, brick exterior lined with bushels and beds full of the loveliest flowers underneath its tall, gleaming windows. The grounds were clean and well manicured, and students were always littered through the grass and seated all along the front courtyard where stone columns encircled an extravagant fountain that bubbled and streamed cheerily day after day. It was just as clean and beautiful inside as well, with a generously sized lobby and luxurious cushioned benches outside the office area, decorative tapestries and rugs lining the halls in the school's chosen colors of black and gold, and trophy cases simply gushing with past victories and club activities of their elite students displayed _everywhere._ Tim happened to be in a couple of them, due to his affiliations with the Yearbook Staff. The other one was because of his brief, disastrous attempt at the Wrestling team; he had joined long enough to lose every match at every tournament before he left in shame. Not, however, before it was time for the group photo. Now he'd have to be reminded of the trauma forever, he cringed to himself as he passed the glass display where his face in the picture was grimacing almost painfully beside the other, larger boys. He didn't have to worry about that _this_ year, though. Instead, he'd chosen to become a tutor once a week in the Library after school. Today was the first day of his volunteering, and he gripped his bag excitedly as he approached the glossy wooden door.

He wondered briefly who he'd end up teaching, or who would even volunteer for it. His grades last year in 9th grade had been perfect in all marks, as they were now as well. In fact, he breezed through his academics so easily that it was one of his own teachers who suggested his newfound pastime, insisting that there were too many students in need and not enough volunteers to help. Tim had never heard of anyone really struggling for grades in Gotham Academy, but he liked the idea of sharing his brain and helping some of the others understand some of the more difficult courses. Stephanie had laughed when he told her, of course, making him go red in the face when he denied going to grab a bite to eat after the last bell rang for the day.

"Of course you'd volunteer to be a _tutor_ ," she had scoffed and smiled humorously. "That's my favorite little whiz kid."

Tim smiled fondly at the memory of her as he pulled open the doors and clamored into the quiet, lushly carpeted room. He sucked in a deep breath through his nose and his lips twitched at the smell of the books and the hum of the computers lining the walls. He followed the signs that read "Tutoring in the Common Area"  and once there, quickly scanned the room for signs of life. He found only one, but as soon as he saw who it was, he did a double take.

"Oh my god," Tim whispered to himself, freezing in surprise recognition.

On one of the far study tables on the other side of the room slouched over a book was the figure of another boy. His hair was dark and mussed, and his brows were creased together as his eyes swept quickly over the text. Tim also noticed that his shirt was rather frayed, and uniform pants were faded;even the the red back pack at his feet had a hole in it. This boy, Jason Todd, Tim remembered, was a scholarship kid a year ahead of him, but they shared a class or two and their lunch period together. In fact, Tim recognized that the rather dense book the other was reading as none other than the Advanced English and Literature textbook from 3rd period.

Jason, however, was one of the few trouble students Tim knew of; he'd been rumored to have been in a few fights with the other students last year from what he'd heard. One of the unlucky souls had been a senior last year, and after receiving a rather nasty looking black eye, the boy himself had claimed that Jason had just snapped and punched him when they wouldn't let him cut in the lunch line. Tim immediately felt a sense of unease; he didn't know if he wanted to tutor this guy, he was so silent, tall and scary and... _intimidating_. But since he was here for tutoring, he was obviously here for help. Besides, Literature wasn't exactly a  _hard_ subject, so... he swallowed his anxiety the best he could and just...walked up to the guy.

"Er..." he cleared his throat awkwardly, causing the older boy to glance up at him and send his heart rate racing with nerves. He had gorgeous _eyes_ , holy _shit_ , he realized, stunned into a brief silence as he gazed into a sea of blue with flecks of green. Jason arched an expectant brow as Tim blinked with embarrassment. "Jason, right?" The elder boy frowned and nodded cautiously. "I'm Tim. I'm here to help tutor you, if you're ready." The smile on his face was tight, but quickly melted away when Jason's eyes narrowed and rolled at him.

"Is that so?" he snorted, closing his text and tilting his head up at Tim in annoyance. "You mean tutor _with_ me, by the way," he corrected, twisting his expression in disgusted annoyance. Immediately, Tim cringed inside at himself for being so presumptuous and squeezed his eyes shut briefly in a heated humiliation.

"I- I'm sorry," he stammered a reply, to which Jason simply dismissed with a wave.

"Forget it. Happens _entirely_ too often," he resounded with a distasteful tinge of bitterness. "Miss Kyle told me you'd be coming today. I told her it was a waste of time, Mondays are usually pretty slow in here," he glowered.

"Oh," he blinked, squirming uncomfortably, feeling more and more like a total idiot the longer he stood there. "I'd...still like to join you, I still want to help out," he insisted weakly, chewing on the inside of his cheek. Jason gazed at him steadily again and sized him up and down precariously. He really did have such gorgeous eyes... Tim scowled at himself irritably and banished the thought. He was with _Kon_ , and this guy had just insinuated an insult at him anyway. Maybe it wasn't such a bad idea to leave the library and the whole tutoring thing behind, then.

"Fine, it's up to you," he shrugged with disinterest as he propped his book back open. Tim hesitated and sighed before turning to take a seat at the adjacent table, giving Mr. Grouch a healthy amount of space. About ten minutes went by before another student popped in; a freshman, this time, and he was trodding in with a considerable amount of pep and laughter. Tim brightened up immediately as the red head entered the tutoring area, straightening up and smiling at the boy. The boy smiled politely back at him and nodded, but to his surprise passed him up completely in favor of plopping down in the seat across from Jason.

"Hey, Jay!" he greeted enthusiastically, retrieving his bag and unzipping it to pull out a Geometry book. Jason held up a single finger and finished a paragraph before he closed the text and slid it to the side to focus on the boy.

"Hey, Wes. How'd you do on your test?" he replied with an amicable smile. Tim almost dropped his jaw; Jason's demeanor had changed completely with this kid. Why had he been so curt with Tim, then? A stab of hurt and annoyance gripped his chest unwillingly.

"Got an 83, man, I passed!" the boy was so giddy, he _giggled_. Jason's lips, which not ten minutes ago had been scowling at Tim, morphed into a warm and surprisingly gentle smile as he nodded with approval.

" _Much_ better. We're gonna get an A on the next one though, right?" he arched a brow at the younger in a challenge. Wes smirked at him and rolled his eyes.

"If you can somehow help me understand what the hell these new theorums mean, then sure. Miss Reyes wants me to Proof these, but I don't even know what the hell the difference is between them," Wes frowned, obviously troubled as he scrambled to pull out a worksheet filled with notes. Jason's brows creased again like they did when he was reading before, and he hummed softly in thought.

Before Tim really got a chance to eavesdrop more, though, he was interrupted by a young, nervous girl inching slowly into the room. He stood up and smiled warmly at her before sitting down and beginning a session of his own.

 

....

 

 

"Hey... Jason," Tim murmured quietly as Wes and Marcy (his own new protege he'd helped with Chemistry) packed up their bags and headed out through the maze of shelves. Jason side-eyed him warily as he pushed in his chair. Tim swallowed and took a deep breath.

"I'm sorry about earlier," he tried genuinely. "We got off to a bad start. Can I buy you a burger or something to make up for it?" Jason, who had been staring at him, unimpressed, blinked in surprise. Tim smiled hopefully as he pulled his backpack on to his shoulders. Jason tilted his head suspiciously at him, and Tim thought he might have seen a flash of anger, or at the very least distrust  before Jason cooled indifferently again and shrugged.

"You're not gonna bribe my approval, shrimp. But sure, if you're feeling _charitable_ ," he sniped, words sharp as a blade. "I'll happily relieve you of your money." Tim grit his teeth at the older boy before pulling him back and drawing himself up to his full -though yeah, undeniably a bit _short_ \- height.

"I'm not being _charitable_ , I'm being _nice_ ," Tim corrected curtly. "And I really don't feel like I was _that_ much of a prick enough to you to deserve that remark." Jason snorted at him shortly and rolled his eyes.

"What do you want, an apology? You can fucking forget it. You wanna buy me a burger? Fine. You wanna make up for that ridiculous elitist impression by assuming I'm stupid because of how I look? Even better. But it doesn't erase that it happened and I don't care about you enough to be polite about it. You wanna make it up, then move forward; stop apologizing about it and making it a big deal," he griped, crossing his arms. Tim gaped at him in shock; that wasn't something he expected to hear. The boy was so _rude_. Beyond rude, he was brute, harsh and...well, if Tim was being honest, at least, right to the point This guy was no bull-shit. Tim was still stung by the implication, of course, but he was trying to make things right. They had to see each other once a week after all, might as well be on good terms. If that were still possible, anyway. He grit his teeth quietly and nodded.

" _Fine_. That's...fair enough. Let's move forward, then. There's a diner down the street that's pretty decent. Do you want a ride? I've got my car parked in the lot," he offered diplomatically. Jason stared at him in what looked like disbelief before he broke down and smirked wickedly at him.

"Sure. Hope you don't mind if I smoke."

Tim froze; Oh, _hell_ no.


	2. Place Your Bets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jason and Tim have a pissing contest and make a stupid bet. Hilarity ensues, a friendship is formed and Tim is far more attracted to Jason than he realizes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy update, everyone! Half a dozen drafts later, it's finally here. We're still just getting started with our boys, but this is the unintentional first date to get the ball rolling. Next chapter will be Jason-centric and will delve into a bit of back story, so it'll be much more angsty. Get ready, guys. Enjoy :)
> 
> P.s. if there are any grammatical or continuity errors, please let me know and I'll get it fixed :)

When they arrived at the diner, Tim scowled as they walked in through the doors. The red booths and the unremarkable wooden tables, usually comforting to him when he frequented with Stephanie -usually when he needed an escape from higher society- now did nothing to ease his agitation. Jason, however, seemed easy and unperturbed enough by the atmosphere, which Tim supposed was a good thing. When they approached the hosts' station, they were greeted by a bubbly girl and seated immediately. After she left them to their own devices, Tim and Jason were left with an awkward silence that neither of them could quite break. Tim wanted to be polite since this was an olive branch mission and all, but he could still smell the stench of smoke on his own clothes from when Jason literally hot boxed him with a Marlboro. It was almost enough to sour Tim's good will, especially since he couldn't even properly enjoy the wafting aroma of grilled, seasoned beef in the air because his nose was still burning. That god awful smell would haunt him and the fabric of his upholstery in his brand. New. MUSTANG. For weeks to come. But, in the name of peace, he plastered an amicable smile on his face anyway as a pretty waitress approached them and handed them their menus. Jason skimmed through the items immediately and rather quickly. Tim hadn't even opened his yet.

"What can I start you cuties off with today?" She smiled with a smooth drawl. Jason, who'd been carefully apathetic previously, noticeably grinned at her antics and leaned forward on his arm toward her. Tim immediately fought the impulse to roll his eyes; sure, she was pretty with long dark hair and big, brown eyes. She had some killer curves, too, and quite the generous...assets.

"I'm actually stuck between two choices. Think I could get your opinion?" Jason replied flirtatiously. She nodded at him a lopsided smile and bent closer to him than was really necessary as he pointed out his dilemma. Tim actively rolled his eyes now, before cracking open and studying his own menu vehemently. It took two full minutes for Jason and the waitress,  _Crista_ , as read by her name tag, to decide on the Bacon Deluxe burger with extra pickles and added jalapenos, with loaded bacon cheddar fries on the side and a large extra-strawberry shake. He saw Jason leer at him with a challenging glint in his eye; it was the most expensive meal on the menu, and he had ordered everything extra and upsized on it, and by the smirk on his face he was just daring Tim to say something. It almost seemed like he was _trying_ to test Tim.

Okay. Fine, then, he decided; Tim could play his game. He closed his menu neatly and cleared his throat with a subtle cough to gain back the girl's attention. When Crista finally turned to Tim, he had long since decided what he was going for.

"Alright, cutie, how about you?" She grinned, cheeks still pink from the close proximity to Jason. And really, Tim couldn't blame her. Tim flashed her his brightest, perfectly practiced smile and Crista blinked. She was dazzled, of course, as everyone always was when he turned up the Charm like this. Typically, it was meant for the public media, but Jason was forcing his hand.

"I heard you telling my friend that your chipotle wings are pretty killer, so I'll take you up on that.  Can I get them smothered with bleu cheese, loaded fries on the side with extra bacon? And for the drink," he batted his lashes in a display of thoughtfulness, and Tim didn't miss it when Jason blanched at him (though whether it was because of the bleu cheese or the class act was debateable), "...Oh, I dunno, there are so many good ones. What's your favorite?" She giggled at him and hummed, tapping the pen against her chin with the same faux thoughtfulness he had just used.

"How 'bout the rootbeer float? That's always a classic," she blushed and offered buoyantly.

"Perfect choice, Beautiful. Rootbeer float it is," he chimed back sweetly with a wink. Crista giggled and scribbled the order down, nodding at them one last time before whisking away with the promise to bring their food out soon. As soon as she was out of earshot, Jason snorted at him, drawing his attention.

"Didn't think girls were your forte, Drake," he offered curtly. Tim arched a brow. Was he referring to his not-so-subtle relationship with Kon? They had gone exclusive about three months ago, much to the excited flutter of the high school masses. Kon had insisted, however, because they had already been dating six months up until that point and all his and Kon's friends and everyone on the football team with Kon knew. He had been so nervous at first, but Kon was so confident and bold and genuinely happy to be with him that all the gossip that ensued -albeit mostly positive, to his pleasant surprise- hardly touched them. Being with Kon and coming out as a couple like that had made him feel...hell, _invincible_. It warmed his chest with enough courage to square his shoulders and meet the other boy's challenging query.

"I may play a different _field,_ but it's essentially the same game," he smirked, crossing his legs and lacing his fingers in a languid display of confidence. It was a diminutive gesture, to be sure, but a daring one, learned from the game of social politics he'd been taught to play since birth. Todd, however, didn't seem to be intimidated.

"Huh," Jason chortled with an understated sort of amusement, consciously tilting his head as he did so. The slow, provocative stretch of his neck, by the way, where it connected to the sharp line of his jaw made Tim's mouth go dry unexpectedly. The skin there was smooth and inviting, and for a moment the absurd thought of raking his teeth there flashed in his mind and Tim's perfect, confident poker face almost cracked. What the _fuck_ , Drake? No more of _that_.

"Would you bet on that?" Jason broke his brief silence suddenly with a mischievous glint. Tim blinked and panicked for a fraction of a second before he remembered their current conversation.

"A bet?" Tim arched a brow, scarcely missing a beat as he tilted his own head down to humor the guy.

"You think it's a _game_ , then I wanna play," Jason explained simply, leaning in towards Tim with a dangerous smile. Tim swallowed, but painted a smirk on his lips as Jason continued. "If you think you're so charming, then get her number," he challenged innocently. Jeez, everything about this guy had to be a challenge.

"Is that all?" Tim laughed comically to hide his relief; that was hardly a problem. In fact, that was far too tame, he realized; there had to be a catch.

"But," Jason interrupted, proving Tim's suspicion right. "You have to get it before _I_ do.And she has to give it freely, no asking her for it." Tim's eyes widened at the prospect. Okay, that was a tad harder, but... maybe not impossible. Still, he was working against the local mysterious hottie with a bad boy complex. Not to mention Jason actually had the advantage of being straight; Jason would know what girls liked better than he did. There was no way Mr. Sex-Appeal here was inexperienced with this shit, otherwise he wouldn't make this bet if he weren't confident he could win.

Then again, he'd never actually _seen_ Jason with anyone like this, and Jason's already proven his affinity for defying expectations.

"You're on, Todd." If his voice was slightly higher pitched than normal, thank Christ that Jason didn't seem to notice. "What's in it for me if I win?" He added, surprising and embarrassing himself at his own words. Why did he ask that? "You'd get a pretty girl's number, after all. I'd get a piece of paper from a poor girl who was led on." Jason, apparently, had already planned that out, since his answer was almost immediate.

"First of all, _I_   wont actually be leading her on, that's a _you_ probem," Jason started, every word like a verbal slap despite his non-chalance. Tim's nose scrunched distastefully into a grimace at both Jason's tone, and the meaning. "Secondly, aren't we here because you made incorrect assumptions about me before?" The sentence, just like Jason's expression, was cryptic and laced with something...teasing, almost _flirtatious_ that made Tim burn (no, no, no, don't go down that road) and yet freeze him with shock at the same time. Jason... wasn't _straight?_  Or... was he? No, no, he probably meant he had a significant other, too, in which case not only are they both terrible boyfriends right now but there was also an uninvited, alien disappointment plummeting in his gut. Either way... No. No, no, _no_ , stop making assumptions; Jason was right, that's what got them into this mess in the first place. Lesson learned, he was never, ever making an assumption about Jason Todd ever again. It's bad for his pride, because Jason has called him out for it every. God damn. Time.

"Fair enough, I guess, but... Still," Tim urged dryly, struggling to maintain a cool exterior. "What are the stakes?" Jason seemed surprised momentarily before he licked his lips absently (which Tim ignored) and twitched into a Cheshire cat grin.

"Take your pick, shortie. If we're choosing our prizes, though..." he winked deviously, making Tim more nervous than ever now. Not that it showed, Tim was still carefully in control of his reactions. "Then if I win, I get to take a joyride in that pretty car of yours."

Tim's heart stopped dead in his chest and he could have died right there. Jason had to have planned this. Or at least something  _like_ this; either way, he should have smelt the stink of premeditation a mile away, after the second Jason took a shine to his car. No. No way, not in a _thousand_ years. It already stank of smoke, he didn't want Jason behind the _wheel_ , doing god knows _what_ for _any_ period of time.

Tim was frozen, and Jason noticed this time. Tim squirmed as Jason chuckled at his expense.

"Don't tell me you're afraid of _losing_ ," he goaded innocently. "Not Tim _Drake,_ the god of self confidence?" Tim didn't hide the twisted grimace of disdain.

" _Fine_. Then _when I_  win, you have to stop being a jerk to me and buy _me_  a meal." It was a direct strike to Jason's pride, and Tim knew it. Tim's resulting smile was absolutely savage when Jason's face twitched. He knew that Jason scoffed at his wealth and made a point to exploit it; he wanted to see how well he'd handle the reverse and if he'd be willing to sacrifice his own ego to pay for a rich man's meal. It was cruel, and Tim had never _ever_ held his wealth over anyone before, and he was starting to feel the a small twinge of regret for it.

"Deal," Jason agreed to Tim's shock, extending his hand for a shake with a poker face of his own. Tim shook it, ignoring his heart fluttering like a butterfly at the touch of his rough fingers.

"What happens if neither of us get her number?" Tim added thoughtfully after they quickly released each others hands. Jason arched his brows thoughtfully and shrugged.

"Then I guess we both lose." On that joyful note, Crista returned once more with all the grace of a practiced server as she offered them their drinks.

"One extra strawberry shake for Tall Dark and Handsome," she offered to Jason sweetly, who let his hand linger not so subtly against hers as she handed it off to him, "and the world's best drink to the outrageously tasteful gentleman on the left," she winked as she turned to Tim. All previous uncertainty banished, Tim beamed at her like it was the best thing he'd heard all day.

For 45 minutes, they bantered playfully back and forth with the girl as she delivered their food and checked on them more and more frequently afterward. And truthfully, they were making such fools of themselves while they were at it. But damn it, he was actually having _fun_ with the challenge, and enjoyed the good-natured flirting, to be honest. That, and he really,  _really_ didn't want Jason to win. He had gotten frighteningly close, too, when Crista had batted her eyes with him over buying a dessert.

"You guys don't happen to have a sweet tooth right now, do you?" she asked, arching a brow hopefully. Tim offered her a lopsided smile, but before, he could say anything, he saw Jason's face light up suspiciously.

"Oh, I know _I_ do," he hummed, bright blue eyes boring straight into Tim's with imminent victory. Tim's blood was hot in his veins at Jason's words and he sucked in a gasp of air before he realized that Jason had turned to Crista and was going in for the kill.

"I've already picked out what I want, too," he flirted mercilessly, and the girl was practically melting on the spot. Shit, shit, he was losing this _._ He had to cut in, _now_.

"His favorite is the banana split," Tim improvised, throwing a smug smirk for Jason's benefit. Jason shook his head from behind the waitress's back where she couldn't see him since she was currently looking at Tim. "But it's too much strawberry for me. I'm more of a fan of the dark chocolate brownie sundae, myself. What does the expert suggest?" Jason narrowed his eyes and smirked silently across the booth as Crista contemplated for them. Tim grinned cheekily and fought back the urge to throw a gloating wink at him.

"Well, how about the strawberry cheesecake? It's got the strawberries for him, and we can drizzle chocolate over the top just for you; it's a perfect compromise," she winked, to which Jason finally snorted, which drew her attention back to him.

"That's alright, sweetheart. I'll go ahead and take another strawberry shake to go since Dark Chocolate over here isn't playing nice," he gestured with a pout towards Tim. It was obviously a double meaning, and while the waitress humored him with a sympathetic glance, Tim had to stifle a laugh behind one of his hands. When Crista promised to return shortly with the shake and the bill, Jason arched a humorous brow toward Tim.

"Nice save, Tiny Tim; bold, even. I'm impressed," he admitted, crossing his arms with a nod of approval. Tim nodded and gestured gratefully, accepting the unexpected compliment with a smug smile.

"Well, you had a lesson to learn, Mr. Scrooge," he replied, playing along with the reference.

"It sure as hell wasn't the meaning of Christmas; you stole my present," Jason jutted his lip out in a fake pout. Tim giggled, yes, _giggled_ , and Jason broke the expression with an involuntary grin. This had been so much more... _fun_  than expected. Even if he _did_ feel a bit guilty for leading Crista on. Jason wasn't all that bad behind his 'Stick it to the Man' attitude, either.

"Oh, dear me, I must to _something_ to ease the pain of your obvious loss," Tim teased, and Jason visibly rolled his eyes. "Seriously, though, you want a ride home after this?" Tim extended amicably. Jason arched a brow at him.

"I have a feeling I'll be driving that beauty soon, anyway, so might as well," he shrugged with a mischievous smile twitching none too subtly at the edge of his lips.

"Hey now, Red Bird's _my_ _baby,_ " he scoffed protectively. Jason's eyes glittered darkly and he offered a crooked smile in response.

"Uh huh, sure. I bet you just  _love_ your shiny new toy, but do you  _really_ know how to driver her? _I've_ been working with cars for  _years,_ on the otherhand; I know my way around an engine, all the tricks and touches. I know I could make her purr like a _kitten._ Can you?" The challenge in his voice was back to match the hunger in his eyes, and so, too, was the hot tug inside Tim's belly. He suppressed a shiver at the new, distracting mental image of all the _tricks_ and _touches_ Jason could possibly be capable of. Of all the little sounds that he could illicit from _Tim._

 _Oh_... Oh, no.

" _You_ work on cars?" Tim uttered out quickly, leaning in towards Jason in not-entirely-faux interest to distract himself.

" _Well_ ," Jason altered, chewing his cheek a bit guiltily now. This should be good. "Okay, so I _used_ to, "he admitted sheepishly. Tim quirked an unconvinced, half-amused brow as he waited for the boy to continue.

"Honestly, call me an idiot, I used to  _maybe_ lift cars for... _illegal_ purposes. But after the cops caught me, I changed my act real quick," he admitted slowly. Tim's eyes popped in sudden astonishment. Not at the actual confession so much, mind, it was just, well- Tim was starting to learn that, beyond that prickly exterior, Jason was many, _many_ things. Most of all... unexpected. He couldn't help but wonder just  _why_  Jason would suddenly tell him this?

"Look, it's no big deal. I was a stupid kid back then just looking for a quick buck. I'm passed that now, honest. I even worked my way towards that scholarship I'm on now. Obviously. I'm babbling, so I'm going to shut up," Jason's cheeks were pink and Tim (god help him for finding it so oddly fucking endearing) couldn't help but feel his heart expand in his chest.

"No, no, please," Tim insisted eagerly. Jason's  _talking_ to him;  _really_ talking to him instead of just being a jerk. It's a good a start as any. "It's okay, really. I mean, grand theft auto isn't exactly-" Jason cringed slightly before Tim could finish the obvious statement, and Tim awkwardly cleared his throat. "My point is, I know people sometimes do stupid things. Mistakes are mistakes, and you don't have to explain yourself to me. I'm no judge or jury...despite my earlier impression of one," he laughed softly at himself. Jason's face was still uncertain, but his shoulders visibly relaxed. "It is nice to see you're human, though," Tim chuckled, causing Jason to arch a brow.

"How do you mean?" He was suspicious, but there was a hint of a smile on his lips.

"There's more to you than you let on underneath the contempt and your... ' _Have at Thee_ ' attitude," Tim shrugged, gesturing with his hands as he searched for the words. Jason smirked appreciatively and rested his chin on his hand.

"' _Do you bite your thumb at us, sir?' 'I do bite my thumb sir,'"_ Jason quoted, mocking softly under his breath. Tim laughed breathily at him.

"Interesting choice," Tim granted thoughtfully. "For someone who reads Advanced Literature for fun, I didn't think you'd be a fan of Romeo and Juliet." Jason rolled his eyes so hard at that, he even closed his eyes  completely to accentuate his pained, sarcastic response.

"I'm _not_ , fuck that story. Fuck the play, the movies, and all the people who call _that_ love. If you ignore the two main idiots, though, there are some witty moments like that to make it bearable." Tim nodded with humor as Jason finished his small rant.

"Maybe that was Shakespeare's whole point," Tim offered behind a smile as Jason scoffed. "Romance isn't what you think, and if you're particularly stupid, you miss the good stuff around you."

"Either way, I'm calling bull shit. Romeo can eat his heart out." He grumbled, crossing his arms.

"What about Juliet?" Tim added, leaning forward on his elbows.

"Well, she ran a blade through hers, so no need," Jason shrugged with amusement, leaning forward to mirror Tim with his chin on his hand comfortably. At that moment, Crista returned from the back and dropped Jason's last drink and the check off on the table. She giggled sweetly at them, but was blushing so hard about something that she whisked away from them with haste, leaving them to stare after her in question. Tim blinked away his surprise before collecting the bill and opening it gingerly. Then, he read a handwritten note with loopy script on the tab.

_"Drinks on me, guys! Thanks for a great time. You guys are the cutest couple EVER, I'd love to hang out and maybe go on a double date with my girlfriend if you're interested. My number's listed below."_

Tim burst out into a fit of laughter. Jason frowned with curiosity before grabbing the note out of Time shaking hands. He read through it quickly before glancing up at Tim in disbelief and dissolving right along with him.

"Well, I guess we deserved that," Tim giggled as he reached for his wallet. The tab was only $28.60  without the drinks added, he had ten times that on him in _cash_. Him and Jason _together_. What a thought. ...Him and Jason locking lips, pressing together in some dark, nondescript room... Him and Jason right here on the _table-_

Tim quietly sucked in a breath as he dropped three Twenties down on the table. Jason, mercifully, was still trying to reign in his laughter and didn't notice. Tim really had to get a grip on this, it was getting out of hand and he could already feel the heat of a blush creeping up his neck. He'd like to be friends with Jason, he'd genuinely enjoyed spending the afternoon with him. If he thought of Kon's face and soft blue eyes, it dimmed the dark burn of desire and replaced it with cool, familiar fuzzy fondness in his heart. There; he loved Kon. He could forget this bubbly flirting nonsense and just enjoy time with his new friend.

When Jason finally overcame his bought of uproars, he sighed giddily and grinned.

"So...we both _win_ then, huh?" Jason was all devious grin now, and Tim froze. Oh, no.

"You know what that means, shortie," he extended his hand expectantly with a glint in his eyes. _Please_ , no. "Give up your keys, Tim."

Tim's breath caught in his chest involuntarily at the sound of his own name; he liked the way Jason said it, even if he was demanding he handed over his Red Bird. Tim groaned reluctantly, but a bet was a bet.

"Relax, man, I'll take care of her. I promise," Jason reassured, gentler now, for the first time, that Tim couldn't hide his anxiety. Tim sighed and finally dug his keys out of his pocket to toss them over.

"Just don't light up another cigarette, please?" Any whinier, he would have been begging. Jason smirked and rolled his eyes as he quickly agreed, already on his feet. Tim followed nervously. They caught sight of Crista as they were making their exit, and after exchanging a humored glance, they winked and waved at her and watched as she flushed scarlet. They might have to come here again.


	3. Double or Nothing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jason returns to his broken home and takes care of his mother. Chapter ends on a lighter note, though, so it'll be okay. 
> 
> TRIGGER WARNING: serious drug use/addiction/depression, mentions of prostitution on Jason's part, depictions of poverty, dirtiness and roaches.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all, and Happy Update!
> 
> So this chapter's going to be a bit dark, shedding a little light on Jason's shady history and family life. It's a short chapter, so it'll be a quick read, but hopefully assisting in getting to know our young Jason. Next chapter, you can look forward to a Tim-centric filler, which will be much lighter. I hope you enjoy!
> 
> P.s. Still running without a beta, so if there are any grammatical or continuity errors, help me out and let me know and I'll correct them asap. Let me know what you guys think! <3
> 
> xx

Jason pattered quickly up the stone stairs to his second story apartment, trying hard not to look backwards. He could still hear the thrum of the engine down below, still feel the comfort of the fine leather and air conditioning. What's more, the laughter of one Timothy Drake was still ringing in his ears from their little cruise together. Tim had obviously been nervous, not just when Jason took his keys, but from the moment Jason slid into the driver's seat. The sophomore had watched him like a hawk as slid the seat back and tweaked the mirrors, and honestly, Jason kinda got a kick out of the kid's anxiety. Still, Tim had honored his end of the deal, and that was the important thing. (God, Jason was practically _salivating_ when the engine coaxed to life underneath him; Red Bird glided over every highway in Gotham like a _dream_ , and even though the temptation to just  _fly_ down the asphalt itched intensely down his legs, he resisted. It paid off, too, in the form of Tim relaxing and even smiling again as they bickered playfully over radio stations).

Tim, he decided, was an intriguing little thing. Hell, from the moment he'd walked into the damn library, Jason had been acutely aware of him. It was something about the way he stared at Jason with laser point focus, or the way that every single time Jason ruffled his feathers, he'd rise up to the challenge with that proud, determined glare. He hadn't been sure if it was annoying or exciting at first, but end the end, Jason mused as he fished the silver apartment keys from his pocket, Tim Drake was alright.

He wasn't as stuck up as Jason had imagined, anyway. Jason had to snort at himself; oh, the _irony_. He'd berated Tim the whole day about making assumptions, and Jason only now just realized that he, too, was guilty. Tim never did called out his hypocrisy, though, so _technically_ he wouldn't have to apologize for it. Hypocrite or not, Jason was  _pleased_ to have been proven wrong; he still felt a light, buzzed sort of elation when he kept replaying the whole afternoon in his head. Honestly? It's been a long, long time since he'd _laughed_ that way with anyone. Tim himself, to Jason's surprise, seemed to share his merriment, and didn't even stop giggling when they entered the shitty apartment complex. Hell, Jason would have given him brownie points just for keeping his mouth shut about the dirty, dingy place, but the kid never took his pale blue eyes off Jason. It was like Tim didn't even register, or at least didn't seem to care about anything around them, he was seeing _only_  Jason when he spoke. Not just his rags and shit stained brick living quarters. For the first time in a long time, he felt... Real. It was electrifying to be acknowledged like this, but it also kind of made him feel... vulnerable, under a microscope; _Naked,_ even.

Now there was a fun thought. Jason tried not to smirk at that turn of thought, he really did. But the way Tim had been blushing tonight, and engaged far more lively than Jason had ever seen at school? Fleeting as it was, he allowed himself to flirt with the idea, anyway.

He could hear the Mustang's guttural growl slowly retreat now, Tim comfortably inside. Jason's smile twitched when he imagined how much Tim had to readjust the seats after Jason vacated them. He once again had to remind himself not to look back as the sound of the car faded, but he couldn't help but wonder... had Tim watched him leave the same way Jason wanted to do? He fiddled with the keys for a moment before finally unlocking the front door and swinging it open.

Immediately, an overwhelming burn of acidic, but not unfamiliar stench wafted into his nose. Jason made a face and his heart plummeted. Just like that, all thoughts of his little field trip escape with Tim had vanished.

Today was one of her bad days, then, he realized. He closed the door quickly behind him and locked both bolts. The apartment was dark, windows shut against the outside world, blocking the dusky sun. He could hear the murmuring of the television and see flickering, so she must be on the couch. He let his backpack slide to the floor with a thud before padding into the hallway towards the living room.

"Mom, I'm back," he called, heart thudding as he suppressed a worried chill. He didn't get a reply; he rarely did on days like these. But there she was, to his great relief, lying motionlessly on the couch and staring at the TV blankly. One look at the table in front of her confirmed what he already knew; a belt and a used needle stained with her dried blood had been tossed carelessly on top of a lighter and scorched spoon. A small, empty ziploc bag lay open with the scattered remains of powder dusting the table. Jason sucked in a breath of stale, sour air and sighed.

"Hey, Mom," he murmured softly, kneeling down by the arm of their faded couch and kissing her head. Her hair was stringy and dirty, falling in clumps around her face, and she limply clutched at an old, crinkled letter. Jason instantly recognized it; she'd only read it a hundred times a day for the past few years; it was a letter from Willis. Even after years of being received, Jason could still recognize the sloppy scrawl, now faded from use but still barely legible. His father hadn't written to them in a long time, nor did Jason particularly care if he did, but Cathy wouldn't part with the damn thing. On days like this, where she missed him to the point of numbing herself, he would always find her clutching the letter to her chest.

He'd read it once; a promise from him to return to their house once his sentence was up ( _ha_ , that house had long since been foreclosed), and general complaints about how she needed to smuggle in more dope next time she visited because life in the slammer was so _unbearable_. Jason had snarled when he read it, tossing it aside and oh, so tempted to trash it. His own father hadn't mentioned him  _once_ in that letter _,_ and didn't particularly seem too affectionate for his wife, either, yet for some reason she kept the note close at all times. The woman loved him... and she was always in pain. Except for when she used the needle, like today. Like every bad day. Jason shivered as phantom sirens wailed in his head, and he quickly thanked the entire universe when her blank, misty gray eyes rose slowly to meet him.

"Hey... baby," she whispered in a hushed, sluggish voice. Jason shook his head and reached up to snatch the wool blanket off the back of the sofa to drape over her spiny frame. She was wearing the same oversized t-shirt and sweatpants that she wore yesterday, he noticed. By the smell of her, she hadn't showered or probably moved much from this morning. She'd also missed work again today. Had she even eaten? Jason's stomach tightened with guilt and bile. He glanced again around the room, but found no new trash wrappings on the floor or in the ashtray, and no drinks in sight. He stroked his mother's cheek, pained, before pushing himself quickly to his feet and rushing to their tiny kitchen. The linoleum was cracked and peeling at the ends, and the paint on the walls was badly discolored from water damage, but this wasn't a new sight to him. It's not like they'd get their meager deposit back, anyway, he reminded himself. Not when Cathy begged them to keep it in exchange for a hit a few months ago. He pushed the thought from his mind as he reached for a cup in the cabinet. In a moment of terror when he didn't find any, Jason thought she might have sold those, too, but when he looked in the sink he realized they were all just dirty. With a breath of relief, he gingerly picked one up before promptly dropping it again when a roach skittered over the top, dangerously close to his fingers. Jason shuddered before turning the faucet on to wash it off and squish it with the but of the dish. He lathered the glass with soap quickly and rinsed it before filling it with clean water and setting it aside.

There was no food in the fridge today, but there was a packet of crackers on the shelf in the pantry that he quickly snatched. Thank god he'd already eaten, and eaten well; if she could eat, she could have the rest of these and Jason would be fine for the rest of the day. He made his way back to his mother's side and set the crackers down gently. She gazed at him with eyes that couldn't focus and Jason swallowed heavily.

"I need you to drink this, okay?" he urged quietly, bringing the water to her lips. She nodded hazily and lifted her head, accepting the water to Jason's relief. It was a slow process, but she drank half of the cup before sputtering and letting it dribble down her lips. Jason pulled back immediately, frowning in concern. She cleared her throat weakly and jerkily wiped away the moisture. The crackers were next. He set the cup down on the table and fished a single cracker out of the packet. His mom made a face, and Jason's insides twisted. Today was _really_  a bad day if she was refusing to eat.

"Come on, mom, just a couple, okay? You've lost too much weight already," Jason scolded bringing the cracker to her lips. She made a garbled sound of protest and tried to shake her head (in her state, that was a battle already lost) before giving in and reluctantly biting into the cracker.

"There you go," Jason smiled, trying to be encouraging even though he felt heavy as lead. She ate two more crackers before outright refusing to continue. Jason thinned his lips grimly before twisting the package off and leaving them on the table in her reach.

"Just a bit more water, then, okay?" she nodded, and Jason helped her slowly finish off her glass.

"Feel better now?" Jason asked softly when she curled back down into the cushions. She hummed tunelessly and nodded with a jerk of her chin..

"My...boy, such a sweet...heart," she cooed, hand wobbling as she reached up to cup his face. Her hands were cold, but he leaned in to her touch.

"Yeah, yeah," his voice did _not_ break. He wouldn't let it.

"How was... _school_ ," she struggled, mumbling almost incoherently. Jason swallowed, casting his eyes down with a shrug.

"Same as always, I guess. I think I made a new friend, though; he took me out for a burger," Jason stretched his lips into a forced smile. His mother's eyes lit up and it made him feel warm.

"... _cute_?" she asked, closing her eyes and reopening them with a struggle. It was really hitting her this time. Jason huffed a forced laugh as he recalled the ghost of Tim's face to his memory. The pale blue eyes, dark bangs falling artfully in his face, his _lips_ in that _smirk_...

"Very," he confirmed. "We get to work together in the library together once a week, so that should be interesting." She muttered something unintelligible back at him that sounding like  _Tell Me,_ so Jason did. He told her all about the rich boy and his dark hair and silky clothes, and all about his sport's car and how they flirted with a waitress and squabbled over Shakespeare, and strawberries and chocolate. He watched as every time she shut her eyes, it took longer and longer for them to open until eventually, they stayed shut as she fell into a deep, drug induced sleep. He released a heavy breath and slumped on the floor by her side for ages, ticking away the minutes and even striking up a much needed cigarette when his lungs started crying out in protest. He sucked in the poison almost gratefully, and his shoulders relaxed.

He had to clean this mess up. Maybe even do the dishes. His homework was already done, thanks to his time in the library, so that freed up a decent chunk of his evening. And since Cathy had bailed on work again, that means he had to make it up. Rent was due in two days; it wasn't cheap, and there was no telling how much she'd already spent. First thing's first, then; he pulled himself up with a soft groan and returned to the kitchen. He paused by he full, dirty sink, ignoring it for a moment, in favor of reaching up into the highest cabinet where a rusted, medium sized tin can rested. He pulled it down grimly and dug inside it with his two forefingers before pulling out the thick wad of cash that Kathy had earned in tips the last few weeks. It was mostly in crumpled ones and fives, but there was a few twenties and even a single 100 sprinkled in the mix. He separated and counted the bills quickly, cursing desperately when he totaled it to $476. She'd taken almost 150 this time; her shit was either getting more expensive or she was buying more of it. He'd have to check for any more stashes before she woke up. Moreover, he needed to find a way to get that 150 back before rent was late, and another 50 at least if he wanted them to eat at all for the week. He rolled the bills hastily back into the wad and stuffed them back into the tin. He could make an easy $200 before the sun went down if he hit the streets...but a nagging sentence he'd mentioned to Tim earlier in the restaurant another lifetime ago rang incessantly in his head.

'... _after the cops caught me, I changed my act real quick... I'm past that now.'_

It had been true when he'd said them at the time. He'd gotten away from grand theft auto; what he failed to mention was the street walking and muggings he'd partaken in at the time, too. With the exception of one, he'd tried so hard to get away from it all. It'd been years since his other activities, at least, but... well, prostitution was a last ditch effort in months like these. They didn't happen terribly often, just a dozen times a year or so, lately. Still, Jason shuddered and prayed desperately that there was a few other things he could try before it came to that again. He could see Tim's face, and his eyes still boring into his soul and had to clench his hand and force it away. He didn't need Drake's pity _or_ his money right now. But the hope that welled in his belly when he remembered Tim's encouragement was something he probably _did_ need.

He could figure this out. He could find a way to make money...maybe not all of it as quickly as he needed it, but he always had a fallback, however undesirable it may be, if he ran out of time. He chewed his lip hesitantly before the light bulb in his head flickered to life. He gasped with a sudden, hopeful lungful of stale air as he remembered the piece of paper folded neatly inside his pocket with a certain waitress's number on it. He reached for it quickly, along with his mother's cell phone off the coffee table, and dialed the number before he could change his mind. It rang three times.

 _"Hello?"_ It was Crista's voice, obviously curious at the unknown number...maybe even a little hopeful.

"Hey, gorgeous. I got your note," Jason could feel himself grin with embarrassment at how cheesy he sounded. He wasn't as suave as Tim had been in the booth while she gushed over them. But he could still hold his own.

" _Is this Strawberry Guy?!_ _You really called?!_ " she gasped in giddy surprise, making Jason fight a laugh. He pinched the bridge of his nose trying to keep a straight face.

"Sure did," he chuckled casually, leaning against the counter as he spoke. "I wanted to go ahead and take you up on that double date." His heart was thrumming with anxiety somewhere in his throat now; this was stupid, this was really, _really_ stupid. Not to mention a fucking long shot, and he'd have to get Tim in on it too, if he wanted this to work.

" _Oh my god, really? I'd love to! My girlfriend's been dying to see that new movie that came out last week, you guys down this friday?"_ Fuck. Jason wanted to fucking scream, he hadn't considered the actual cost of the date, he'd really have to bust ass if he wanted to scrape everything together.  He wouldn't be able to do that by this Friday.

"Hmm...how about next Friday?" Jason counter-offered hopefully. He could really use the extra time, both to rake up the money, and to convince Tim to be his...ugh... _date_.

" _Works for me!_ "

"Good," Jason breathed with relief. "So listen, I was hoping you could do me one more favor..." he added shyly, stomach rolling with mild anxiety as the main question was making its way to the surface.

" _Sure, anything_ ," she hummed chipperly.

"Are you guys hiring, by chance? I could use your help to snag a job, and I really liked the look of your diner." The poor girl practically shrieked with excitement.

" _Definitely! I'll talk to my boss and give you a reference if you want. It's a privately owned place so you can apply online or come in for a paper application and an interview when you get a chance. We're open until 11 if you wanted to come back by really quick,"_ she flirted hopefully. Jason glanced at the little green digital clock on the microwave that flashed 6:45. He'd have to either walk or catch a ride, but he could make it. He'll have to do these god awful dishes first, though. He'll be doing plenty of that if this works anyway, though.

"Sure thing, beautiful. I'll be there."

" _Great! My break's nearly over, so I won't be able to talk too much, but ask for me and I'll introduce you to my manager and get you all set up."_

"Thanks, Crista, you're fantastic," he grinned. They hung up shortly after and Jason released a shaky breath he didn't know he'd been holding. First off, he'd hopefully have a job before the night was over. If he made it as a server, he'd be raking in tips on the daily. If he worked the back, it'd be rough for a couple weeks, but he could make a budget. He'd probably still have to walk the street tomorrow to pull rent off, but he'd never have to do it again if this worked out. The swell of his heart in his chest was enough to make his smile a little brighter, the dishes a little less intimidating, and the air a little less stale. What a _day_. To think that a rich little punk might have inadvertently just changed his life by insulting him, then buying him a burger at the very same diner he'd soon (hopefully) be employed at..

No matter what happened, of one thing he was absolutely sure:

He owed that rich prat a thank you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> P.S. In case anyone was wondering, I know Kathy died of an overdose in the comics, but in this universe I like to think that when Jason found her, he had just enough time left to call an ambulance and save her life. It's his worst fear to find her like that again, but he knows he can't force her to break a lifelong addiction, so he takes care of her as best he can.


	4. Crushing It

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tim is totally buzzing about his short time with Jason, and obviously needs to vent to his best friend. Stephanie berates him about it and convinces him to call Kon. A fluffy little chapter, and a glimpse into Tim's world as events are planned and cuteness unfolds.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy update!
> 
> So here we are with a Tim-centric chapter and getting a glimpse into his private life. Obviously Stephanie and Kon are huge presences, and given his lack of parents being around, I kind of added Mrs. Mac as an Alfred-inspired character to care for him. Despite his parents always being gone, I feel like they would have left him a series of nannies/caretakers or something (like Alfred was to Bruce) and that's how Mrs. Mac earned a position in Tim's life. She was originally an experimental character, but was edited after a helpful anon pointed out that she was an actual character in the comics. So let me know what you guys think about her inclusion. Also, notice the contrast between Jason's helpless mother and hunger versus Tim's immediate (although not techinically his actual mother since she's abroad atm, but) mother-figure immediately taking care of him when he walks in the door. 
> 
> Hope you enjoyed the TimKon fluff! There won't be much more of it, bc obv this is a Jaytim story, but I couldn't resist throwing it in there to make the hurt of ruining it later that much sweeter 8)  
> <3<3<3

"You went out with  _Jason Todd?!_ "

Tim was blushing profusely in the comfort of the beige, lamp-lit haven that was Stephanie's room. The scene was hardly appropriate in comparison to the red hot fire the blonde had just flared under his ass to roast him alive. The scandalized glare in her eyes also contrasted with the sharp grin plastered across her face in excitement. She was in full interrogation mode, which was comical considering she was bundled in an oversized t-shirt and fleece pajama pants, and her hair piled into a messy knot on top of her head like the proverbial cherry on top.

He had headed over to her comfortable little home for some much needed vent time and maybe a popcorn and Netflix marathon for a couple of hours. In hindsight, he probably should have just kept his damn mouth shut about the whole diner thing. Instead, she  _had_ to pause Netflix and interrupt Pretty Little Liars for the full fucking Inquisition now that he'd said something.

"I need details, and I need them  _now_ ," she insisted urgently, crossing her legs and leaning forward with wide eyes. Tim covered his face with his hands and groaned as the story spilled out.

"He's a tutor after school with me. I thought he was one of the kids who  _needed_ tutoring, so I asked him if he needed help-" he began before Stephanie interrupted with a gasp, unable to contain herself.

"Ooh, you fucked up," she chirped with a delighted giggle as Tim's lips thinned in a grimace. "His grades are higher than  _yours_ , Tim." Tim blanched in surprise.

"No way. How would _you_ know?" he challenged. The blonde winked and pressed a single finger against her lips as if to say  _shh_ ,  _not telling._ But Tim knew she was full of it, because she could never keep her mouth shut for long.

3....2...1...

"I peeked at the principal's roster," she admitted with a proud grin. "I wanted to tweak my GPA by like, a point or two, and so I  _may_ have snuck in to his office. I saw his name on the Junior roster, he's like 4th in his class."

"Hold on, you did what?" Tim backtracked with a snort. Stephanie flushed and smiled guitily, offering him a small shrug.

"I got caught!" she defended herself, as if it were an excuse. "That's why I was in detention all last week." Tim rolled his eyes.

"Whatever. You deserved that. But anyway, Jason's 4th in his  _class_?"

"Yep. Bet'cha feel like an ass right about now for offering to  _tutor_ him," she snickered at him. Well, he'd felt like an ass anyway at the time, and just when he'd thought it had dissipated, the feeling weighed on him once more like a brick in his stomach. Tim wasn't anywhere  _near_ that tier in his class. Despite his high marks, it would probably help if he took his classes a tad more seriously, and maybe didn't skip on a whim as much as he did (which really wasn't all  _that_ much... not enough to be  _noticeable_ anyway).

"I bought him a burger to make up for it," Tim murmured softly in defense, staring hard at Stephanie's rumpled comforter underneath them to avoid her antagonizing eyes. Immediately, the tone of the conversation seemed to shift as an excited noise escaped his best friend's lips.

" _Ohmygod_ , tell me everything," she squeaked with excitement. "I want to know what he ate, if he looks sexy when he eats- oh, was he silent and brooding mysteriously like usual, or did he actually talk? And did he-"

" _Stephanie_ , jeez, one question at a time;  _breathe_ , will you?" Tim laughed loudly before telling her the story. He told her all about the obnoxious upsizing and all the extra add ons Jason exploited; the thing he had for strawberries; his love and disdain for Shakespeare; and yes, even the bet. He earned a vicious punch in the arm for that one, and she called him a rather nasty name as well.

" _Ow_ , hey," he pouted, massaging his arm and knowing full well he'd deserved that. "To be fair, she thought we were gay anyway and asked us on a double date," he whined, earning an interested quirk of Steph's lips. 

"Well, it's not exactly hard to peg  _you_ , but  _Jason_?" she mused thoughtfully, rubbing her chin. Tim rolled his eyes. "Hold on, what'd you say?!"

"She wrote a note and left us her number, so we really didn't say anything," Tim shrugged. "After that, we left and he drove to his place. End of story." This seemed to shock Stephanie into a still, wide eyed expression of disbelief.

"You've never let  _me_ drive Redbird," she whined with envy, crossing her arms and tossing her chin up defiantly.

" _You've_ never won a bet against me," Tim countered unapologetically. She wouldn't anytime soon, either; he was never betting Redbird again, ever. She pouted for a solid minute before giving in to Tim's immovable glare and sighing dramatically.

"Whatever. So where does he live?" she changed the subject with rekindled curiosity. Tim blinked as dingy bricks and broken glass windows flashed in his memories. He hadn't dared to say anything about the apartment complex for fear of damaging their already fragile, new friendship, but he remembered it. He hadn't noticed the coveting stares and threatening glances when Jason was still cracking jokes and carrying conversation in the driver's seat, but as soon as he was gone and Tim had to drive back by himself was when he finally  _really_ took in the environment. He'd left quickly after that.

"West side; you know, in one of the apartments near the docks," he explained with a reluctant bite of his lower lip. Stephanie sucked in a startled breath. She knew middle and lower Gotham pretty well; she didn't grow up in the comfort of the wealthy district, so in her youth she'd taken to exploring Gotham on her bike during the daylight hours. She, too, was a scholarship kid, but mostly grew up in one of the few middle class medians between the two extreme sides.

" _Damn_ ," she whistled in morbid awe. "He lives in the ghetto apartments?" Tim nodded solemnly.

"Those are the druggie compounds; A lotta Dope gets passed around there. Does, er-...he?" She trailed off and didn't finish the question in her hesitation, and but she didn't have to, the meaning was clear enough. Tim shook his head vehemently.

"No. He told me he used to steal cars, but hasn't done anything illegal since he got his scholarship," Tim informed matter-of-factly. Stephanie choked back a surprised laugh, and Tim ignored her. "Shut up. He really wants to better his life," Tim's voice softened, and his eyes peeked down to the side as a flush crept onto his cheeks. "He's been busting his ass, especially since he's the fucking _4th in his class_. He's really smart, and insightful, and...  _funny_ , you know?"

Stephanie's face morphed from entertained, to a concerned frown as she listened, and then finally into a sudden, cheek-to-cheek grin. Tim's cheeks were in flames at the suggestive waggle of her eyebrows, and he already knew what was coming.

"You've got a  _crush_ ," she accused him with a quiet shriek, scooting forward as the gossip got juicier. Tim groaned quietly, eyes wide as he shook his head in denial. "Yes you do, you  _like_ him," she gasped as the idea washed over her. Good lord, this girl could let her imagination run away with her sometimes.

"Fuck off, Steph. He's a cool guy, but you know I'm with-"

"What would  _Kon_ think if he knew you went out with another guy today?" she challenged before he could even make his point, top-knot tilting over with her as she cocked her head. " _Especially_ someone as hot and intimidating as Jason Todd?" Immediately, guilt clawed at his stomach and dragged his stomach down to his toes.

"Have you even  _told_ him?" Tim cringed internally and whined at her viciousness. Kon was technically at practice today and had just gotten out an hour or two ago, so... that was a No, and she knew it.

"I will," he promised in a mild panic under her glare. He meant it, too; he really did. It was just an innocent burger, he didn't have a reason to hide the fact. Why did it make him squirm to bring himself to tell Kon? No big deal... Stephanie scoffed at him and rolled her eyes, but the glint of a smile twitched and she couldn't contain it much longer.

"Okay, good. A crush is always fine as long as you're honest, and you remember to look and don't _touch_ ," she lectured with a knowing nod of her head. Tim bit his lip uncertainly, but she made sense. A crush was harmless as long as he followed the rules. It shouldn't be hard since he wasn't in close quarters with Jason very often, no big deal. "And really, I can't say I blame you. I mean, he's so fucking  _hot_! I'd bed that boy faster than you can say ' _Hell yes_ ,'" she giggled, stern glare breaking entirely into excitement at this point. Tim broke into an embarrassed grin and hugged his knees close to him.

"I  _know_ , oh god," Tim's cheeks burned, and he bunched Stephanie's blanket against his chest as guilty butterflies fluttered in his stomach. 

...........

A few hours later, Redbird's driver door thudded shut in the driveway to his own home. Stephanie had kept him jabbering about Jason for an hour, and didn't even let him finish watching their episode on Netflix before it had gotten so late that he was forced to go back home. She had been so relentless and excitable, but he loved his best friend, and was genuinely relieved to be able to admit and vent about his outting with Jason. He smiled fondly at the memory of the blonde as he locked his Redbird up. She chirped back at him reassuringly as he made his way over the manicured grass toward the polished front door. As he clambered inside, he offered a call of greeting to the housekeeper, Mrs. Mac, who smiled back at him fondly.

"Mister Drake, welcome home," she offered in her kind tone. "Are you hungry?" she offered as Tim made his way toward the stairs. He felt his stomach growl mildly as he paused on the first step. He'd eaten with Jason at 5 or so, and it's 10:30 now; it's been a while, so he wouldn't mind eating.

"A bit," he admitted with a nod. "I know it's late, though, and you're about to go home soon, so you don't have to."

"Oh, no, you know me better than that, Mr. Drake. You go on upstairs and I'll run something up to you," she beamed before setting herself to work. Tim smiled at her fondly and nodded his assent (bless that woman's proud kindness) before obeying and making his way up to his room.

Once he was safely in his bedroom and curled up on top of his comforter, he decided that while he waited on food, maybe it was finally time to call his boyfriend. They usually called each other before sleep anyway, catching up and chatting about their days, wishing him goodnight, and so on. He was inexplicably a little anxious, however, as he pulled his phone out of his pocket. But when he saw the lock screen of him and Kon smiling cattily up at him from the screen, it made Tim's heart warm and drew a smile to his lips. There was nothing to be anxious about; this was the face of the kind, gentle guy he was in love with. He was safe, and loved, and whole with Kon; he pressed the unlock for his phone and dialed his lover without another second thought. It rang only twice before the boy answered; it made his heart swell that Kon always made the time to talk to him.

"Hey babe," Kon's voice was a cheerful hum over the speaker.

"Hi, hot stuff," Tim smiled, shoulders relaxing as he sank back against his pillows. He could hear Kon laugh.

"I'm glad you called. You never texted me after tutoring, so I figured you forgot about me," he teased lightly. Tim bit his lip guiltily.

"I'm sorry, baby, you know I'd never," Tim pouted, before his heart started to thud harder in his chest as his nerves swarmed. "I had a great time, actually! A girl named Marcy needed help with her Ionic and Covalent bonds, and we went over a couple of worksheets. And, um... Jason and I got a burger afterwards, and then I met Steph to marathon Pretty Little Liars. It was pretty fun, over all, and I finally just got home." It was rushed, and Tim's heart was in his throat, praying that Kon might just overlook the Jason part.

"Wait, Jason? As in...Jason  _Todd_? The weird guy on a scholarship?" There it was. Kon knew him, then, because he could hear the distaste in his voice. Kon obviously wasn't willing to let that slip. Tim's stomach clenched and he squirmed silently to avoid giving his anxiety away.

"Yeah, turns out he's a tutor too," Tim explained as non-chalantly as possible.

"Huh. I think he was in my Physics class last year. Always quiet, never raises his hand or talks or anything. Didn't think he was much of a brainiac type," Kon hummed thoughtfully.

"Yeah, it...surprised me, too," Tim admitted squeemishly. "But it turns out, he's pretty smart. He reads the Lit textbook for fun, and scoffs at Master Shakespeare," Tim chuckled, unable to prevent a smile from tugging his lips as he recalled the memory from earlier.

"Well, Shakespeare's awfully wordy anyway. There's more to the world than just tedious plays and stuffy books," Kon spouted. Tim could almost hear his eyes rolling, which made him giggle. Jason would be appalled, but Kon maybe had a point. Tim enjoyed the stories in class, but outside of school, he rarely picked up a book. Usually, he was out with Kon and Steph on the town, or playing video games, or watching Netflix. There were plenty of quality activities in life besides academics.

"Yeah, you're right. Wouldn't wanna miss out on game days or movie nights," Tim grinned easily.

"Or having some quality company with your boyfriend," Kon insinuated suggestively. Tim laughed and agreed, and just like that, the tension fell away between them and it was easy conversation for the rest of the call. It was only when Mrs. Mac interrupted a half hour later, dropping a plate of french toast off that Tim reluctantly decided to let Kon go. It was after 11 now, and they still had school tomorrow, after all.

"Hey, I love you," Tim cooed fondly over the line after Ms. Mac said her goodbyes.

"Oh, hang on!" his boyfriend insisted excitedly. "Before you go, I wanted to ask you if you're still coming to the game on Friday?"

"Of course," Tim frowned thoughtfully as he tore a piece of toast to pop in his mouth. "Why, did you have something planned?"

"Yeah, I've got a surprise for you. Bring Steph, you'll love it," Kon promised happily, making Tim's heart melt at the boy's eagerness.

"Okay," Tim agreed, like a total sap. "We'll be there cheering for you."

"Good. God... I love you," Kon's voice hummed over the line.

"I love you too, Kon," Tim replied, voice mushy and pathetically gooey, even over the sound of chewing a new bite of toast.

"Good night."

"Night, babe."

The phone clicked off and Tim's heart was fluttering with euphoria and excitement; everything was _okay_. Kon wasn't mad at him; in fact he had even planned a surprise for him and got all sappy tonight. Tim had made a new friend in Jason, and despite his little crush, Stephanie helped put things back in perspective like a good best friend and made him see everything was truly okay. In fact, why didn't he invite Jason to go with him and Steph to the game? Jason was mostly a loner, he might appreciate being included and making more friends. Steph would love him -although not  _too_ much, hopefully, and Kon would warm up to him eventually. This could really work out, he realized ecstatically. He hugged his phone to his chest with a smile as he quickly scarfed down the rest of his snack and turned out the lamp.

Everything would be great.


	5. Sidelined

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jason reflects on Tim asking him out to the game as he gets picked up. Stephanie is introduced, chili dogs are had, and Jason ends up really enjoying the game. This chapter is basically just Jason's first football game and fluffy, innocent fun with friends. Also Jason realizes some awkward feelings and shenanigans ensue. Enjoy <3

There was something to be said about Friday nights; from the moment the sun begins to set, a kind of electric excitement always starts to buzz through the air, and city life flourished under the street lights no matter what side of town one was on. Jason had never understood it before, but now, sitting on the cement steps of his apartment underneath the pink and blue haze of dusk, for the first time in a long time, Jason could taste the anticipation.

Maybe it was just his anxiety making him mistake a mild heart attack for excitement, he pondered. The calming effect of the cigarette dangling from his lips attested to that. But regardless of the nicotine's influence, his heart still fluttered restlessly in wait.

This was Tim's idea, going out tonight.  It had started on Wednesday during Tutoring, when Tim surprised him in two ways. The first was coming to Wednesday Tutoring at all, since he was technically only signed up for Mondays. The second, well... the fact that Tim actually spoke freely to him (god forbid he even say "Hi" the rare times they spotted each other in the cafeteria or in Advanced Lit, the class they literally  _shared_ , but Jason didn't dare accuse the kid of a crime he was guilty of, too). Tim had flashed him an odd little smile as they prepped their work desks, and Jason had nodded back courteously, if not a little suspicious, thinking that Tim had begun to chicken out of their barely budding friendship. Just as Jason had debated on whether or not to initiate further contact before conversation became a lost cause, Tim had piped up and broke the hush between them.

"So I've been thinking..." and gosh, Tim's brows had creased in the center as if to accentuate his words.

"Yeah?" A glimmer of hope rekindled in his chest.

"Kon's football game is this weekend..." he trailed off coyly. Jason narrowed his eyes and felt himself already start to withdraw in cynical disinterest. "I know you're probably not the type that enjoy sports-"

" _Presumptuous_ much," Jason snorted, rolling his eyes. But this time, Tim wasn't exactly  _wrong_.

"- _but_ ," he continued, ignoring Jason's brief interruption with a patronizing glare. "Steph and I were gonna go and cheer for the team, and...I wanted to invite you, too. You know, to hang out. Stephanie's been  _dying_ to meet you, anyway."

Jason remembered feeling surprised, at the time, thinking why the hell would this guy, who'd  _barely_ acknowledged him since the diner,suddenly want him to hang out and meet the bestie? If he'd been in his right, logical mind, he would have just said no right off the bat. But damn it, those hopeful baby blues that Tim had sported, and the way he chewed on his bottom lip almost hopefully completely distracted him and threw him way the fuck off.

"She's not gonna bite me, is she?" had been his only response, referring of course, to the blonde girl who almost constantly accompanied Tim in the hallways and at lunch. Then again, Tim was probably the one trailing behind  _her;_ she looked pretty forward and bullheaded to Jason. But then, Jason was, too. Come to think of it, so was that beefy boyfriend of Tim's; there was a theme here, somewhere, Jason just knew it.

Tim had simply laughed at his statement.

"Only if you ask her to."

"You never know," Jason had winked wickedly, causing a noticeable pink rouge to appear on Tim's cheeks.

"So does 6 o'clock Friday night work for you, then? I'll pick you up at your place," he steamrolled forward, stoically ignoring the taunt.

"Sure, whatever." And that was when the first student strolled in, swiftly ending that conversation. So now here he was, sitting his stupid ass down at 5:30 in sheer anticipation and waiting to see the red mustang turn the corner into the complex any minute. He honestly felt foolish in getting this excited over a silly, cliche high school novelty game. But then, he'd never actually been to one, either. Not with friends back in middle school, not since he'd enrolled in the Academy, not ever. Tim was going to be his only lifeline, a boy he barely began to associate with in the last  _week_ , in a sea of people he didn't really know at a game he didn't particularly care for. Not to mention, it'd be in the chilly wind sitting on cold ass metal stadium stands. And yet, he was actually  _excited._  

Jason shoved the sleeve of his favorite red hoodie back to checked the watch on his wrist again. It was starting to become a nervous habit, just watching as the minutes ticked away two or three at a time.

5:35. Why was he waiting out here again? He could just go back inside until 5:50 or something. His mom was at work, and he'd already cleaned the place up. He could maybe watch some tv?

5:38. Nah. He'd still be checking his watch just like this. Could he really invest himself into mind numbing basic cable right now, anyway? Probably not.

5:44. He pulled out another cigarette, having finished the first one already and discarded it over the rails. He laughed at himself as he lit the damn thing up; how was it that Tim Drake could make him start chain smoking?

5:49. Damn it.

Tim's Red Bird was nowhere in sight, and he was beginning to squirm uncomfortably as 6 pm loomed closer and closer. Was he going to be on time? ...Was he going to be late?

Would he show up at all?

Dread set in as his watch ticked 5:59; he didn't want to go back into an empty apartment again. He didn't want to go back into that apartment, back to his own personal prison just yet. He desperately wanted to have fun again... he wanted whatever this promising thing was with Tim to actually pay off.

It was 6:05 now, and Jason's second cigarette had long since died out, but he could already feel himself start to twitch with the need for another one. This waiting around was bad for his nerves (and his lungs), but fuck it. He sighed as he indulged his anxiety and flicked the lighter in defeat.

 _Please let him show up_.

Jason's hand paused with the lit lighter centimeters away from the tip of the death stick. Damn... it's been a while since he's had  _that_ particular thought. He shook it away defiantly and lit it, taking a long, desperately appreciative inhale.

The roar of an engine traveled through the air when a red mustang- yes,  _the_ red mustang,  _Red Bird_ _,_ Tim had called her, pulled around the corner of the entrance. Instant relief flooded his system as he chastised himself for being so stupid before. Tim was here. In fact, he could see him smiling up through the windshield as the car approached.

Jesus, that fucking idiot was dressed in the same uniform polo from school; he hadn't gone home to _change_? He snorted at the dork and shook his head in amusement. He could also see Blondie in the passenger seat, blinking around the complex curiously. She _had_ changed, Jason noticed; and given her cashmere sweater, she was dressed sensibly for the late night they were planning. They probably had gone back to her place, then. 

When the girl's eyes eventually roamed to meet his own, Jason grimaced in self consciousness, but chose to ignore the gawking. He sucked one last, deep lungful of smoke before reluctantly snuffing the damn thing against the brick wall and stuffing it back in his pack. He held the breath, cherishing the last drag he'd be able to take for a while before releasing the smoke back into the air slowly through perched lips. He'd surely be able to sneak away for the rest at the stadium somewhere, but for now, he really was trying to be mindful of the car. He didn't want Tim barking at his ass for that again.

He shoved the pack and his two hands meekly into his hoodie pocket as he made his way toward the vehicle. Both Tim and the blonde were watching him approach, making his skin prickle mildly in discomfort as he reached for the back door. He heard the door unlock, and before he could change his mind, he opened it and slid quickly inside.

"Hey, Jay!" Tim chimed before he even had a chance to buckle his seat belt. Jason offered a tight smile and nodded to where Tim's blue eyes shone in the rear-view mirror.

"Hey," he replied simply, buckling in and making himself comfortable.

"Hey, Jason," came the sweet, alto ring of the blonde in the passenger seat. She had completely turned around in her seat to stare at him; brown eyes wide and intense like a god damn x-ray.

"Hi, uh....erm-"

"Stephanie Brown," she politely inserted, extending her hand as Tim shifted the car to reverse. Jason shook it and nodded at her.

"You're in Tim's class, right?" Jason asked, letting his hand fall away awkwardly as he held the girl's gaze.

"Right-o. And, spoiler alert, his best friend in the universe," she exclaimed, tilting her chin proudly. Jason smirked and nodded in acknowledgement.

"Dually noted."

"So... do you want me to bite you, yet?" The world froze around him, and yet she grinned mischeviously, revealing a set of almost perfect teeth. There was a front canine that was slightly crooked, Jason noticed, but the way she tilted her lips made it an endearing kind of smile. For the first time in a long time, Jason's eyes widened in shock, and he felt uncomfortably warm in embarrassment. He whipped his gaze to the rearview mirror where he could just catch Tim's guilty grin.

Jesus, they were worse than the Mean Girls.

Jason turned back to the blonde defiantly and smiled back at her politely. He wasn't going to back down from the challenge; Tim did this on purpose, he was almost sure.

"Only if you want me to bite back, sweetheart," he fired sweetly, leaning back in a display of comfort against the leather upholstery. He heard Tim choke as they sped down the street, but Blondie herself could not look any more thrilled if she tried.

"I like him, let's keep him," she slugged Tim's shoulder un-apologetically. Jason's pride swelled and a sense of relief flooded through his veins; he'd never cared for anyone else's approval, but receiving it anyway, especially now in an environment outside his normal zone, was an immense comfort he hadn't expected. Maybe the night would be easier than he expected.

Plus, he was delighted to discover, Tim was blushing again.

.....................

Football games were  _intense_.

Jason was surprised at the spirited, extremely dense crowd when they'd arrived. From the very start during the pre-game shenanigans, they'd been whooping and shouting with unrestrained Friday night glee. Music from the marching bands could be heard blasting back and forth, and the occasional announcement from the box office echoed all the way across the field, despite the roar of the masses. Painted faces, and colored streamers and banners were seen and waved by the students cheering for the Gotham Knights. Even Tim and Stephanie had decided to paint black and gold stripes on their faces in good spirits. Jason had politely declined, but  _had_ indulged in the delicious smells of fried food wafting from the concession stands.

He'd bought the works; loaded nachos, a pickle on a stick, two chili dogs, three slices of pizza, and three bottles of water to split between the three of them. It'd been the last of the spare money he'd earned before he'd paid the rent off, and he'd never been so grateful for the fruits of his extra labor in his life. This was more than just a treat, it had made it worth it to sit here with Tim and Stephanie and let the adrenaline of the crowd roar through his veins. It was deliriously intoxicating, this atmosphere, and he was beginning to understand the appeal, even if he didn't quite understand the full extent of the game.

The crowd roared, and the neon score board went off in a cartoon-y little display of fireworks and "1st Down" was flashing brightly in the center.

"What does that mean?" Jason asked loudly over the masses to Tim and Stephanie on either side of him.

"It means the ball is ours, and we get to start making offensive plays again," Tim explained, as Stephanie bounced up and down, cheering with the crowd. "If we haven't advanced 10 yards by 4th down, then we have to punt it. But trust me, it won't come to that; Kon's the best quarter back in school history, we're about to cream Central City!" he beamed.

"If he can avoid Wally West, anyway," Stephanie chimed in once the cheering died down. Jason arched a clueless brow and blinked.

"He's the running back who's been giving our boys so much trouble. Unfortunately, he's so fast that he plays linebacker on defense, too; he's a hell of a sprinter," Tim explained sullenly, pointing down to the Central City uniform #03. He had his helmet off for the moment, since they hadn't started the next play. He had a shock of red hair, and was laughing hysterically at something his teammate was saying, but that's all that Jason could really see. But in a flash, the boy donned his helmet once more and ran out onto the field into position.

"That goofball is giving your team hell?" Jason squinted in disbelief.

"Hey, goofball or not, as long as he can outrun our guys, he's a problem," Stephanie reasoned seriously. Jason snorted; these two were completely immersed in this shit. But still, he was able to follow the play, now.

The whistle blew, the ball whirred through the air and then the crash of helmets sounded off as the players ran their asses off. Jason chewed happily on one of the chili dogs and barely followed the blurs of the players below. One of the running backs had passed the ball, and Kon (#04, as Tim had pointed out) had caught it. West was right behind him and the two ran over 15 yards before the linebacker slammed into the quarterback's ribs and took him down. Jason had to hide an entertained snort as Tim and Stephanie groaned in outrage beside him.

Jason quickly decided that he _really_ liked this game.

The band began to play the school's fight song as the teams geared up for the next play. For the rest of the first quarter, the football field was practically a war zone; a Colosseum filled with gladiators, and the mob of students around him became angry spectators out for blood. Finally, the buzzer sounded, ending the first quarter just after Gotham's 3rd Down.

Tim and Stephanie were stone faced as Eye of the Tiger began to blare from the band.

"I need a breather. I'm going for a hot chocolate, you boys want some?" Stephanie offered, standing to her feet.

"Sounds lovely, actually," Jason beamed happily. They turned towards Tim for his answer, and to his surprise, the guy had his arms wrapped tightly around himself and his teeth were chattering. No fucking wonder, since the sun had finally set and the nightly chill was starting to creep into the air. He grinned guiltily at their astonished expressions and shrugged.

"A hot chocolate sounds fabulous, and at this rate might just save my life," he shivered. Jason winced and glanced at Stephanie. She looked absolutely bewildered, shaking her head at him.

"I told you, I  _told_ you we should have stopped at your place for a jacket," she scolded, crossing her arms. Tim shrugged humbly and bit his lip.

"Yeah, I know," he was obviously ashamed. Jason sighed bemused at the kid.

"I'll be back," Stephanie promised, stepping out into the aisle. "Try not to die while I'm gone, mmkay?" It almost sounded like a threat, but Tim nodded cheerily and she softened up.

"You didn't even bring a sweater or anything?" Jason chastised further in concern once Blondie was gone. Tim's cheeks pinked, and Jason doubted it was from the weather.

"I forgot how cold it gets at night, so what? I'll be fine," he insisted, despite rubbing the clearly pronounced goosebumps up and down his arms. Jason rolled his eyes and cursed himself for what he was about to do. At least _he_ was wearing a long sleeve shirt.

"Here," Jason sighed, yanking his collar up and shucking the hoodie off. Tim froze, eyes bulging wide with a slacked, surprised jaw as Jason held it out for him. When Tim didn't immediately take it, Jason squirmed in discomfort.

"Look, I know it's not a super  _nice_ jacket or anything, but it keeps the wind out, trust me. And I just washed it a couple days ago, so it's not dirty or...or anything," he rambled, feeling his cheeks start to redden as well. Tim stared up at him with a soft, meek kind of look that Jason had never seen before. Honestly, it took him by surprise, and made his chest feel a little funny.

"Thank you," Tim nodded earnestly as he accepted the offering. Their fingers brushed momentarily, ice cold things against Jason's warm(er) skin, and his heart seemed to trip over itself. He could see Tim's pupils expand below him, and found himself staring a bit too much as Tim's lips parted ever so slightly. And then there was that blush again. Oh... _shit_.

"You're welcome."

And then Tim's hand, and his hoodie, were gone as Tim pulled the cloth over himself. A tuft of black hair poked through the top, and when Tim's face emerged, it was almost as red as the hoodie itself. Tim's relief was visible as he snuggled inside the fabric, wrapped his arms back around himself and sighed. Why did the simple motion make it feel like all of Jason's internal organs had vanished?

"I'll give it back after the game," Tim promised. Jason nodded, as his throat was too dry to say anything in return at this point. An amicable silence fell over the two as the swarm of students murmured around them. Jason couldn't help but notice that Tim sat just slightly closer than before. He swallowed thickly and snatched his water bottle to ease the tension in his throat, and...maybe distract himself a little.

"So," he cleared his throat, drawing Tim's curious blue eyes up to his. "Since you invited me out tonight, and I'm not having...you know, too shitty of a time, would you want to come see a movie next Friday?" Tim blinked, obviously surprised, but clearly not unpleasantly. Jason's heart was in his throat as he continued on. "I hit the waitress up, and she sorta helped me get a job at the diner. Long story short, she wants us to hang out with her and her girlfriend next week, and I, uh... told her... maybe."  That wasn't supposed to sound so _lame_ , Jason cursed himself nervously, but god damn it, it was about time (and only fair) that he asked. He just...left out the part where Crista still thought it was a double date. That was an easy fix, though.

Tim's eyes lit up and he laughed, and Jason's shoulders relaxed with relief.

"Wow, no shit?" he gleamed excitedly.

"I speak the truth," he promised, sending up the two-fingered, boy scout salute. Tim grinned, wide eyed, and proceeded to nod excitedly.

"That sounds awesome, Jay, I'd love to go! And hey, congratulations," he elbowed Jason gently with a crooked smile.

"On the job? Thanks," Jason smiled. "I actually start tomorrow morning." Tim's eyebrows arched in surprise.

"Oh, god...  _tomorrow_ morning?" he made a face anxiously. Jason furrowed his brow in concern.

"Yeah?" was the only response he could muster.

"Shit, there was an after party tonight that I wanted to take you to," he pouted, causing the world to stop spinning around him for the second time that night.

"Really?" his jaw dropped, and he damn near did a double take in disbelief. "You... want  _me_ at one of your fancy-pants parties?"

"Well, I can drop you off if you don't wanna go, or anything," Tim flushed, and Jason smirked gently. "Especially if you have work in the morning. I just thought maybe it'd be fun for you, and-" he babbled nervously, twiddling his fingers beneath the red cuffs of Jason's hoodie.

" _Relax_ , shortstack, I'll go," Jason agreed, fighting back amused laughter. Tim's face brightened with hope. "Just get me home before dawn, maybe?" he chuckled, and Tim agreed. Fuck, what was he getting himself into? His heart was beating erratically, and he was nervous at the prospect. Why was he going so far outside his comfort zone tonight? Why was he  _excited_?

The buzzer wailed seconds later, just as Stephanie was returning with three styrofoam cups of steaming hot chocolate.

"Your savior has returned, Timmy! Just in the nick of ti-time..." she actually  _did_ a double take when she saw Tim swallowed up in Jason's much-too-large hoodie. She blinked a couple of times, and Jason squirmed internally as he studiously pretended to intently stare at the line-up on the field.

"Thanks, Steph, you're my _hero_ ," Tim chirpped up, alleviating the tension as he forced the conversation along. She smiled strangely as she passed out the drinks, each boy accepting them gratefully in turn.

As soon as the whistle blew to start the second quarter, the situation seemed to be forgiven enough as Stephanie cheered with the rest of the crowd. Jason breathed a sigh of relief, and for once tried to invest himself fully into the plays of the game.

.......

The buzzer sounded off again, signalling the end of the first half. Tim and Stephanie relaxed on their seats and sighed wearily; Central City had scored twice on them, and it wasn't looking good. The crowd was restless around them as the cheerleaders and the marching bands lined up for the show, hoping to provide more fighting spirit. Jason leaned forward in excitement as the shining instruments, glittering outfits, and colorful flags made their way onto the field. The half time show was decidedly one of the best parts of this whole experience, Jason noted. It was visually stunning and fun to watch for both sides. He liked the way the flags spun and the props twirled high in the air as the members practically danced across the field.

Tim and Stephanie seemed to brighten up considerably as well as the show progressed, and it was definitely a nice change of pace. The air was much less hostile, anyway, and everyone watched comfortably as the show finally climaxed and ended with a blaze of glory, followed by silence that erupted into applause. Jason clapped enthusiastically right beside everyone else.

Everyone was returning to their seats now, and the buzz of conversation was starting to pick up again. Just before anyone got too comfortable, though, the PA system blared to life and the announcer's voice sparked over the crowds.

"Ladies and gentleman, before we end our half-time, we have one more show! On behalf of our own Gotham Knights, our starring Quarterback, Conner Kent, and the cheer squad have a short presentation!" The crowd murmured eagerly at the news, whipping around to stare at the field where #04, Kon, now with his helmet off and a scared looking smile plastered on his face, was padding across the grass.

Tim blinked in surprise beside Jason as the three of them leaned forward to see what the quarterback would do. Immediately, the cheerleaders flooded around him with huge, hand made signs and a cartoonishly large bouquet of flowers. When they were all arranged, the signs were held high, and the neon paint spelled out:

" **TIM, WILL YOU BE MY HOMECOMING KING**?"

There was a collective gasp from the crowd, and Tim himself was in tears of joy, covering his mouth.

"Oh... my god," he choked.

"What are you waiting for, stupid, _go_!" Stephanie was prodding him excitedly, pushing him to the aisle to go meet Kon in the field. Jason stared as the boy, in near shock, ran down and out to Kon, jumping into his arms and embracing tightly as they pressed their lips together. Deafening cheers erupted, and a few whistles and catcalls were delivered by the more boisterous students. Jason clapped alongside Stephanie and plastered a smile on his lips.

The two love birds exchanged words on the field, and then Kon slipped something- a _ring_ , it looked like, to Jason's shock, onto Tim's finger, before the cheerleaders squealed and flipped the signs over to read:

" **TIM SAID YES!** "

Tim and Kon locked lips one last time as the crowd clapped for them before the announcer's voice chimed back to life.

"Wow! Folks, what a beautiful way to ask your date to Homecoming. Can you imagine what the boys will do for prom?" The voice joked, earning genuine laughter from the masses as Tim was burdened with the flowers, and waved goodbye to his boyfriend as made his way back up the stairs into the stands.

Tim looked dazed as the students around him gave him slaps of appreciation on the back. Stephanie hugged him and kissed his cheek, and Jason had a strong suspicion that she had teared up.

"I'm so proud of you, Timmy," she sniffed happily as Tim sank into his seat. Tim beamed at her, and Jason (finally jarred out of his own shock) offered his own congratulations.

"Hey, I'm happy for you, man. He put in a lot of effort with that, he sure is...something. Congrats," he clapped Tim on the shoulder as he voiced his support. Something in his chest constricted as Tim gleamed up at him.

"Thanks, Jay. He really is," he agreed dreamily. "He gave me a promise ring," he added softly, flashing the silver trinket from under the flowers. Stephanie gasped and squealed excitedly.

"Oh,  _Tim_ -" this time, she really did cry. Jason watched them and smiled in support as they reveled in the moment. He was being silly, this was a real, romantic moment for Tim. Whatever ridiculous feeling that was rattling around inside him could shove off; he wouldn't let any pessimism or un-named discomfort ruin this for Tim. For his  _friend_.

"I love him," Tim hummed happily as the buzzer sounded off the second half. Jason grinned and nudged him playfully as the players lined up in position.

The whistle blew, and the crowd roared.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys liked this one! I spent a lot of time at games in my early years of high school, so that's where I get the inspiration for the setting around them. Now, I'm also not the exact expert on football, so if I missed a detail in Tim's explanations anywhere, please let me know. 
> 
> Also, what do y'all think of the dynamic between Jason and Stephanie? I'm really excited to write her in, and may even do a few POV's involving her and Kon later on.
> 
> Next chapter is the party Tim mentioned, and will be Tim-centric. See you next update!


	6. Spin the Bottle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The game ends, and the party begins! Kissing shenanigans and drunkenness ensue below. Enjoy <3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I'm kind of drunk writing this, but I wanted this to be a fun chapter filled with jealous angst.
> 
> Does Stephanie step over the line a little bit? Probably. Does Tim have an oral fixation on Jason? Most definitely. Is Kon a little prickly with Jason for their first encounter? Eh. All will be fleshed out next chapter.
> 
> Also, I know I switched between POV a little in this chapter, please forgive me. If you notice any mistakes or grammatical errors, please let me know and I'll do my best to fix asap. Thank you!

_TIM, WILL YOU BE MY HOMECOMING KING?_

The words burned permanently into his memory as he crossed the field. His boyfriend was there waiting, hair tussled from his helmet, and shoulders noticeably stiff, even under the massive padding of the uniform equipment. The grass padded under his feet as he finally closed the distance, and god, he felt like he was about to melt right there, or possibly combust entirely. The moment they met, Tim leapt giddily into his arms.

"When did you-" Tim choked out, unable to finish his sentence through the tense, emotional lump in his throat. Kon beamed down at him, blue eyes dewy and shining to mirror Tim's own expression.

"I told you I had something planned for you, didn't I?" he murmured simply into Tim's ear with a very proud, excited grin. Despite all the yelling and cheering from the squad of girls around them and the spectators on the stands, it might as well have been white noise, since Kon's voice was the only thing in the world Tim could hear.

Tim stretched up to the very tips of his toes and snared Kon's lips in an overwhelming lock of lips. God, he felt  his own heart swell immeasurably against his rib cage, rising up his throat and inevitably welling up into his eyes.

"Here," his boyfriend whispered, surprising Tim by taking his hand and sliding a warm, silver band with red and blue gemstones dotting the center; their favorite colors intertwined. Tim's jaw dropped, but he definitely wasn't capable of speech, so tears took place of words and streamed down his cheeks with a strangled sob of sheer happiness.

"K-Kon, I-"

"Be mine? I promise if you promise," Kon's face was earnest, and perhaps even a bit anxious as Tim stared up at him completely starstruck. Tim nodded and hastily wiped the hot tears away as Kon crushed him against his torso once more.

"Of course, I promise," Tim managed, pressing a final peck against Kon's warm cheek as the cheerleaders flipped their neon signs with more shrill cries of excitement. The next thing Tim knew, Kon was dipping him back like some cheesy romcom couple kissing in the spotlight, but despite the raging "Ooooohs" from the audience, Tim's arm were firm around Kon's neck, eyes closed in bliss as he parted his lips. Let the stupid crowd enjoy the show.

After a long, lingering press of warm lips brushing against each other, Kon finally, reluctantly helped him upright and released him. Tim's head was spinning in a daze as a bouquet of assorted flowers were given to him. Kon smiled and mouthed a quick 'I love you,' before he turned away, and Tim smiled. He supposed it would be too cliche to sigh wistfully after his sweetheart, so he resisted, but he could feel his heart stutter and flutter right out of his chest.

Somehow, he found his way back up the steps into the stands, vaguely aware of whooping laughter and congratulatory pats on the back. He was almost sure the announcer made a joke about prom, but it was all a blur to him. The only thing that burned clearly through the haze were two faces grinning and waiting for him with open arms.

Stephanie, of course, was bouncing up and down, clapping wildly before drawing him into a tight hug and ushering him back to his seat protectively from the crowd (bless her). 

"I'm so proud of you, Timmy!" God, she was nearly as emotional as he was. He smiled fondly at her as she brushed her hair subtly out of her eyes.

"Hey, I'm happy for you, man. He put in a lot of effort with that, he sure is...something. Congrats," he said. Tim blinked, unsure of the subtle tone, or what exactly Jason was trying to imply. But Jason was smiling, and he was warm and sweet, and Tim felt his chest bubbling with fulfillment. He felt warm, and slightly frazzled under the other boy's gaze, and suddenly Tim was very conscious of Jason's scent cloaking him inside the oversized hoodie,  **Jason's** hoodie that he was still wearing. He blushed, unable to think rationally through the emotional turmoil gravitating in his chest, so he simply smiled.

"Thanks, Jay. He really is." The buzzer sounded off, and the game resumed. "He...gave me a promise ring," he wiggled his hand out of the hoodie in a haze to display. He couldn't help staring at it under the shine of the stadium lights; it was bright and the gems sparkled. He could hear Stephanie crying unabashedly now.

"Oh,  **Tim** ," she choked, but Tim could barely hear her.  Jason's face, however, was oddly tight as they gazed at the ring. Tim tried not to analyze that too much; instead, he recalled Kon's ridiculously mushy face as the blue and red gems glittered up at him.

"I love him," he blurted dreamily, hugging his arms around him and snuggling into the hoodie to sate these fuzzy feelings inside his chest.

The buzzer sounded, and Tim cheered louder than ever as Kon started running.

_................._

"Weeeeee are the championssss, my frieeeeendss," Tim and Stephanie sang out arm in arm, drunk on victory and adrenaline as they made their way to the parking lot.

"Weeeeee'll keep on fiiighting, till the eeeeend," Stephanie giggled. Tim could swear he caught Jason rolling his eyes with an amused smirk.

"Noooo time for loooosers, cause weeee are the champioooonss.... of the woooooooorld!" Finally Jason chortled out laughter from beside them; and it was truly an enchanting sound. The sight of him throwing his head back and nearly doubling over was even sweeter.

"What, are you allergic to celebrating or something?" Stephanie miffed at him, crossing her arms challengingly.

"Oh, no, I love a good celebration," Jason defended innocently. Tim smirked; here it comes. "It's just that out of tune, pitchy screeching that you call  _singing_ that gives me hives." Stephanie gasped, snapping a scandalized hand over her heart and blinking in outrage.

"Oh, like you could do better," she scoffed, jutting out her lip and creasing her brows. Uh oh, Tim realized; she might actually feel a little insulted. In alarm, he cast his eyes over at Jason, who wore a placating smile on his face as he shrugged.

"Nah, I never had the pipes for singing," he admitted. Stephanie seemed to brighten back up at the prospect as Jason continued. "Now I can give you a pretty sick beat boxing," he joked, nudging Steph's arm. Tim nearly sighed in relief; whether Jason noticed Stephanie's trivial turmoil or not, at least he was wise enough to diffuse the situation before he really upset her.

 "How about a good slug in the arm?" Stephanie offered defiantly, bantering on as Red Bird chirped at Tim's beckoning with the keys in hand. 

"I don't usually hit girls, but sure, if you insist," Jason snorted, pulling the back door open as Tim unlocked the mustang. Stephanie growled, yes  _growled_ , at Jason before -to Tim's surprise- sliding in back beside Jason and actually playfully punching him on his arm.

For a moment, Jason blinked in sheer alarm, and Tim wasn't sure if it was because she had punched him, or that she had actually chosen to forgo the front seat in favor of sitting with him. He looked a little stiff and uncomfortable from what Tim could see in the rearview, but seemed to rub his arm as an afterthought, so Tim suspected that it was the latter. 

And honestly, why  _did_ she decide to sit back with him? She wasn't even on the opposite _side_ , she was in the middle, wedged literally right beside him. Not...not that it really  _mattered_ , but... Tim chewed his cheek and chose not to pursue that particular train. Stephanie did as Stephanie pleased, and that was that.

"That all you got, blondie? I know a few grannies in my neighborhood who hit harder than that!" Jason finally chirped back after only a beat of hesitation. His friends bickered for a few moments more, and Tim rolled his eyes as he pulled out of the parking space.

"Oh, please, that was nothing," she tsked, tilting her head indignantly. "Spoiler alert, if I was really trying to hurt you, you'd have more than just a welt the size of Gotham Cathedral," she taunted.

"I can attest to that," Tim grinned, chiming in. Both heads turned toward him, Jason in curiosity and Steph with appraisal. "She punched one of my teeth out in fourth grade. But to be fair, I bloodied her nose in return," Tim testified earnestly, recalling the brief falling out at recess so many years earlier. A smiled tugged at his lips as Jason reeled in mild alarm.

"Oh, don't worry, his tooth was loose anyway," Stephanie grinned.

"What? Er... _why_?" Jason voiced skeptically. Tim and Stephanie exchanged a meek smile through the reflection of the mirror.

"We broke up," she admitted sheepishly. Jason, if he had been drinking anything, might have done a full spit take by the look of him. Tim burst into laughter at his wide, buggy eyes.

"You dated?" he blinked. Then an ear splitting grin erupted on his face as he snickered at them. "You guys are like the _besties_ cliche from hell."

"Oh, come on, it was only for like, two weeks," Stephanie objected as Tim snorted in front. "But then _he_ kissed Dick Grayson under the _slide_ , and well, things kind of got out of hand," her mouth twisted as she shrugged ruefully.

"Dick  _Grayson_? Really?" Jason snorted with entertained laughter. Obviously everyone in Gotham Academy knew of the chipper senior; he was a very loud and boisterous presence during pep rallies, the voice of the morning announcements, participant of Yearbook club, Drama club, the one and only male Cheerleader, and generally the well-loved, unofficial school mascot. It was hard  _not_ to know who Dick Grayson was, is the point. And for a few years in grade school, Tim was completely infatuated. They'd never really dated, but yeah, they did share that one single kiss on the playground and pretty much confirmed Tim's sexuality. Stephanie, understandably, wasn't happy at the betrayal at first, but fast forward a few days, and Tim is out as gay to his best friend, Stephanie is fully apologetic and supportive, but Dick Grayson had already started dating a girl in his class, and Tim had to move on.

"Yeah, he's the most promiscuous guy in school, what'd you expect?" Stephanie grinned wickedly.

"Easy there, Nelly Furtado," Tim rolled his eyes. "Dick definitely knows how to sweet talk a person, but he's usually faithful to whoever he ends up with," Tim amended for her. He would know, after all.

"Unlike  _someone_ ," Stephanie accused, sticking her tongue out at him.

"Sorry, love, but it would _never_ have worked between us," Tim quoted wistfully, earning an appreciative smirk from both Steph and Jay.

"Yeah, your gay ass couldn't handle my equipment, anyway," she clucked her tongue with a smile.

"More like your equipment can't handle my ass. Grow a cock, then maybe we can talk," Tim barbed back bravely, not missing the choked snort from Jason's direction.

"I've got a bright pink, silicone one you can borrow," Stephanie teased, leaning forward towards Tim and poking his arm playfully.

"You guys are gross, I shouldn't be surprised you dated," Jason laughed, making a face at them.

"Oh, don't act prudish; we saw your hickeys Wednesday, you can't say nothing," she teased, jabbing a finger into his chest.  Tim choked on his breath and very nearly braked a bit too hard as he saw a creeping blush crawl up Jason's cheeks. He glared at Stephanie through the mirror, though she carefully ignored him. 

She wasn't supposed to  _bring it up_ , damn it. He'd noticed the bruises on Jason's neck when he'd asked the guy to the game, but hadn't dared to ask about them; who just  _does_ that? It was a hugely personal question anyway, but of course Stephanie had to cross that line. Fucking hell, if the light hadn't just turned green he might have smacked her.

Jason unconsciously reached to cover up his neck, as if it were a surprise to him to find out. The marks had already mostly faded, and he quickly stowed his hand away in his pocket.

"What can I say? Guess I fell on a doorknob," he shrugged non-chalantly with a hint of an awkward smile. _Phew._ At least he wasn't offended. However, now that Jason all but admitted it, Tim was kind of curious. Who could it have been?

" _Twice_?" Stephanie arched a humored brow at him.

"Yup," Jason's expression was carefully stoic. He'd be fantastic at poker, Tim noted silently.

"Does the _door knob_ have a name?" She prompted with an expectant, shit eating smile. Tim's heart slowed in his chest and he pricked his ears in keen interest.

"Nope," Jason folded his arms, tilting his chin up with a teasing smirk. "The doorknob didn't pay me enough to remember the name."

Tim's guts lurched, and he immediately whipped his gaze up to the rearview mirror to take in the boy's face. It was relaxed enough as if in amusement, but something about the quiet stoicism that reflected back made Tim squirm inside. Had he been joking? He'd been  _joking_...right? Stephanie, however, dismissed the remark out of hand almost immediately.

 "They sure left quite the impression, though," she fired back with as much sass as she could muster, crossing her arms and gesturing pointedly at Jay's neck. "Come one, seriously though, no pillow talk? No sweet nothings or juicy gossip for Auntie Steph, here?" Jason snorted at her and rolled his eyes so hard, Tim could see the whites of his eyes in the reflection.

"You want juicy details,  _Auntie Steph_?" he mocked playfully, leaning forward with a twisted grin. "I could tell you stories all  _day_ , if the price is right," he winked, and Stephanie gasped, scandalized as she touched her fingers to her lips dramatically.

"Ooh, don't tempt me, I might have to steal Tim's wallet," she joked, throwing a purposeful wink towards Tim, who grimaced at the prospect as he drove. 

"Ahh, no. Don't drag my Benjamins into this," Tim stuck his tongue out pretentiously, before narrowing his eyes specifically in warning at Stephanie in the mirror. "Seriously, though, Steph. Back off the poor guy, we don't want to scare him away quite yet." She flushed apologetically at him, catching his double meaning, and nodded, though obviously pouting about it. Tim's shoulder's slumped in relief, and Jason shifted awkwardly in his seat. Poor Jason... maybe he should have waited another week or two before subjecting him to Stephanie's... _intensity_. 

"Alright then, Drake," It was the blonde herself who broke the brief silence. "How'd you get Mrs. Mac to agree to let you host a party? Were those 'Benjamins' involved?" she grinned narrowly. Tim scoffed at her in disbelief.

"Puh-lease, Mrs. Mac would bar my window before she let me host a party," Tim reminded her chastely. The housekeeper was too particular about the spotlessness of the manor and would never condone a party on premises in a thousand years. His parents paid her way more than Tim could afford on his weekly allowance.

"Oh," Stephanie hummed in confusion. "Then whose house are we going to?" she wandered aloud. Tim's lips twitched and his blue eyes twinkled as he met her brown ones in the reflection.

"You know how we were talking about a certain someone earlier who lives like, right down the road from me?" Jason furrowed his brows at Tim's hint, but Stephanie's eyes lit up with genuine excitement.

"We get to see  _Wayne Manor_?!" she squealed. Tim laughed and nodded; he'd forgotten that she'd never been there before. He'd been invited to a few galas, and even hung out with Dick on a few separate occasions after school. It had been a few years, of course, but he and Dick were still pretty decent friends, Tim thought. At least enough for Dick to have invited them to a permitted private party.

"Holy shit," Jason whistled, impressed and maybe a little awestruck. If Tim wasn't mistaken, he'd almost think Jay looked a bit...apprehensive. It was probably a little intimidating; not only widly out of his comfort zone, but literally going straight over the edge to the house of the most famous upperclassman in the city. Maybe...he should have given a little more warning than what he did; he kind of felt a little inconsiderate for not thinking about it earlier.

"Holy shit is right; Dick Grayson knows how to  _party_ , he famous for it! And he's gotta have the coolest place in town, this is gonna be fucking awesome!" Stephanie chirped. Jason made a face and chuckled at her. Tim shook his head in amusement.

"Try not to gawk or anything, we wanna be cool and get invited  _back_ one day, okay?" Tim coached her carefully. Jason scoffed at him, making Tim's stomach practically vanish and replacing it with a feeling of utter foolishness. Oops; he may have just let the Basic  out. Stephanie was snickering at him as they turned into the long drive with the huge, white mansion poised proudly on a beautifully manicured lawn.

"Well... at least it's not  _too_ overstated," Jason joked as they passed a large, looming Gothic pyre fence. Yeah, the Waynes did have a reputation to uphold, he supposed.

At the house, there were already a few parked cars -Tim frowned when he didn't see Kon's black pick-up yet- and pulled gracefully in beside them on the gravel, making sure to leave plenty of room for the rest of the guests.

"Ready?" he grinned at his two passengers as he unbuckled his belt. Stephanie was already legging it out the car door. Jason met Tim's eyes and sighed, seeming resigned but smiling. Tim grinned reassuringly.

"Come on, then."

...................

Wayne Manor  was the biggest fucking house-  _estate_ , whatever- that Jason had ever seen. It had tall pillars, white walls, high, slanted ceilings, and wide open, spacious and lavishly decorated rooms. He oggled the place for more time than he'd like to admit; it was so beautiful, it was practically intimidating. They were even let in by a butler. A  _butler_. The man was nice enough, immaculate to the T, and sporting a posh British accent, but was very polite and professional rather than stuffy.

There was comfort and relief to be found once they were led to the back yard, as Jason took in the simple red solo cups and cheap booze that Dick had managed to set up by the pool. Why the party was set outside in the cold ass middle of the night, Jason couldn't guess, especially since it was too cold to use that magnificent looking water feature. But there was pop music playing in the back for white noise, an assortment of colorful lights, a snack bar, and even a beer pong table set up. These people went _all out;_ Jason was admittedly impressed.

Teenagers everywhere were chattering comfortably and laughing at each other; a lot of them Jason didn't know, but he recognized a few faces; Barbara Gordon, Harper Row, and of course, Dick Grayson, the latter of which greeted them instantly.

"Hey, Tim! Hey, guys!" he flashed them a dazzling, white grin. He was still in his cheer uniform from the game, and even if he weren't, he couldn't look anymore lively if he tried. Jason blinked as Dick threw his arms over Tim and Jason's shoulders as if he'd known them for years. Jason was appropriately shocked, at first, but Dick was surprisingly easy to get along with.

"Come on in, we're about to choose teams," he led them eagerly towards the beer pong table. Jason followed in awe, and was surprised when Dick chose him not only as one of the firsts for his team, but by  _name_. Dick knew him, and was genuinely making an effort to include him; he didn't know whether to feel touched or awkward or what. But by the time they started playing, he hardly had time to think about it anyway.

The party wasn't a raving kegger like he'd expected, for some reason, but there were still about a dozen guests there, all chattering away and familiar enough with each other to actually be having fun. The more they played and ate, the easier and more relaxed Jason felt.

Tim seemed particularly excited as Jason seemed to open up and enjoy himself. He elected to stay by Jason's side most of the time, to be supportive and all, he convinced himself. Stephanie clung close for a time as well, but once she and Barbara started catching up, she was preoccupied for some time, leaving Jason and Tim to themselves by the fire pit after Dick had released them back into the wild to mingle with other guests about an hour later.

Tim breathed in a sigh of relief as he slumped against the bench, and Jason chuckled in exhaustion. 

"He just keeps going, doesn't he?" Jason smiled in exasperation. Tim snorted and nodded affirmation as Dick fluttered and twirled between guests like an acrobat.

"He thrives in crowds; he's always the life of the party," Tim confirmed.

"I believe it," Jason sighed, stretching his arms up and relaxing them over the back of the bench languidly. A jolt of electricity spiked down his spine as his arm brushed Tim's back by accident. But Jason's arm was relaxed and steady now, and Tim melted comfortably, if not a little surreptitiously, against it. Jason was close, and the red hoodie around Tim's torso still bore his scent; it was almost like a hug, if Tim let his tipsy imagination play a little bit. Whether it was that, or just the booze, it made him feel bubbly and fuzzy inside.

"Don't tell me you're tired already," Tim teased lightly, turning to look up at the boy.

"Nah. Just need a cigarette, my lungs are fucking  _aching_ ," Jason complained. Tim nodded knowingly.

"Go ahead; we're gonna smoke something a little stronger later, anyway," Tim joked. Jason arched a brow.

"You chewed me out for smoking earlier this week, and now you're gonna smoke weed?" Jason challenged, making Tim's stomach drop guiltily.

"I don't do it  _normally_ , it's just a party thing," Tim defended himself innocently.

"Uh huh," Jason frowned, unconvinced.

"Haven't you ever done it?" Tim implored, leaning in towards Jason curiously. "I mean... you've told me you've done some illegal things..." he trailed off awkwardly, remembering not only the admission in the diner, but...perhaps the murky description of the handiwork from the mysterious Door Knob. Tim didn't dare ask; he'd promised himself no more assumptions, after all.

"No. I don't wanna get involved with it. Cigarettes are hard enough to quit already, god knows all I need is another vice," he scoffed irritably as he dug the crumpled box out of his pocket. Tim bit his cheek, cringing at himself for bringing this up.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you," Tim apologized. Jason shrugged and didn't respond as he pulled out a half smoked stick and crammed it between his lips.

"Are you really trying to quit?" Tim continued on, earning another raised brow from Jason.

"You really wanna know?" he murmured around his unlit cigarette. Tim nodded his head in earnest.

"Kind of. I'd love to some day, anyway," Jason admitted. "They're a nasty habit, these things. I only started because my mom was always gone and it wasn't-" Jason caught himself and cut himself off instantly. Tim's eyes popped in shock, but before he could protest or urge Jason to continue, Jason blathered on bashfully. "Damn alcohol, I think I've had enough," he chuckled. "Look, long story short, they're just a really good stress relief that taste fucking terrible."

Jason's cheeks were pink with embarrassment as he downed the rest of his solo cup and tossed it aside, stalwartly not looking at Tim.

"I- oh," Tim blinked stupidly as Jason put the cigarette back between his lips and flicked the lighter to life. He tried desperately to find something to say, something to bridge the awkwardness or express sympathy, or  _anything_.

"Can I try?" It was the only thing he could think of, and he kind of felt stupid as the words left his mouth. Jason stared at him as if questioning his very sanity, and honestly Tim wasn't sure of his clarity right now anyway. But then a humored smile split Jason's lips as he tugged the cigarette away and exhaled a bout of smoke.

"Ten bucks if you don't cough," Jason offered deviously, making Tim smirk.

"You're on," Tim stuck his tongue out before gingerly taking the cigarette from Jason and hesitantly resting it between his own lips. Jason watched him carefully, and Tim felt a little self conscious as he sucked in a heavy drought of the cancer stick. Immediately, he choked on the smoke and half sneezed, half coughed as he tried to clear the burning shit out of his lungs. Jason burst into a fit of guffaws as Tim  wheezed for air.

"How do you  _breathe_ ," Tim choked, passing the cigarette back to Jason hastily.

"You-  _jesus christ_ ," Jason laughed, throwing his head back. Even Tim grinned sheepishly and joined in at Jason's giddiness.

"And just what are  _you_ two laughing at?" A suspicious Stephanie appeared beside them. Jason grinned guiltily before sucking in a breath of smoke as Tim covered his face. Stephanie was smart enough to put 2 and 2 together.

"Timothy Drake, you absolute heathen, you," Stephanie scolded, smacking his shoulder lightly.

"In my defense, it was for a bet," Tim explained. Stephanie glared at them and shook her head.

"You stupid boys and your bets; it's gonna get you in trouble some day," she warned, wagging her finger in front of Tim. Tim shrugged with a poorly hidden grin and Jason chuckled beside him.

"If you'd like to rejoin the group, we're about to play spin the bottle," she offered before turning and winking explicitly at Jason. "Let's see if you bite as much as you bark," she taunted mischievously. A wicked storm started thundering in Tim's gut as she walked away, and he frowned after her. She was flirting suspiciously hard with Jason, and he wasn't sure he was okay with it. Stephanie knew his...complicated feelings for Jason, she should know he's off limits, period. For both of them. That was implied, right?

"You wanna play?"

"What?" Tim was spun back to earth as he turned toward Jason.

"Do you wanna play the game? I'm down, but I wanna finish this first," he gestured with his cigarette apologetically.

"Oh," the storm cleared in Tim's stomach- hell, Tim's stomach vanished entirely and replaced itself with butterflies. "Er...I dunno. Kon probably wouldn't approve of a kissing game," Tim cleared his throat uncomfortably, trying not to flush.

"He seems pretty excited about it to me; he's sitting down in the circle anyway," Jason pointed out.

" _What_?" Tim's jaw dropped as he whipped around to view the main party. There, lo and behold, was his boyfriend chumming it up with Stephanie and Dick. He felt a stab of disappointment that Kon hadn't stopped to say hello first, or at least texted him that he was here.

"Come on, let's go sit down," Jason urged, taking a final drag of the cigarette before snuffing it out.

"Fair enough," Tim agreed, standing to his feet. They padded over the cement into the circle, and Dick cheered as they took their seats -Tim by Kon and Jason on the other side of Stephanie.

"Welcome back, party poopers," he teased. "Now that we're all here," he began, pulling out an empty beer bottle from behind his back with a gleaming grin and setting it down in the center. "You all know how this works, we take turns spinning and plant a big, sloppy kiss on whoever it lands on. Anyone who is in a relationship can settle for good old fashioned platonic cheek kisses. The rest of you dirty hos better give me some tongue action," Dick rubbed his hands together deviously as the crowd giggled. "Now, as our champion for tonight, and also guest of honor, Kon, would you like to go first?"

Kon shook his head exasperatedly as he accepted the bottle.

"Fine," he murmured beside Tim before setting the bottle in the center and giving it a good spin. It landed on none other than Dick himself. Dick grinned and waved him forward seductively, making Tim snicker as Kon pressed an amused peck against the guy's cheek. 

"Excellent. My turn," Dick's eyes brightened eagerly as he took his turn. "I'm hoping for Barbara," he winked in the ginger's direction.

"In your dreams, Grayson," she taunted. Fate had other plans for Dick; the bottle landed on Tim, and Tim felt his pulse quicken as Dick winked at him.

"Aha, an old flame!" Dick exclaimed. Tim rolled his eyes and presented his cheek passively as Dick pressed a slobbery kiss against his skin. He made a face and squeaked as he used the red hoodie sleeve to wipe it off.

"Keep your tongue to yourself, Grayson," Tim laughed, snatching the bottle. He briefly made eye contact with Jason before he set the bottle in the center, and he felt his heart slamming in his throat. What if it landed on Jason? What if he had to  _kiss_ Jason? The bottle spun.

"Hey, look at that," Harper smirked as the bottle pointed at her. Tim wasn't disappointed. He  _wasn't_. But he did laugh as Harper presented her cheek to him. He gave her a peck before she took her turn.

Harper kissed Duke Thomas; Duke kissed Barbara (even though Dick was scowling dramatically the whole time); and Barbara kissed Stephanie.

" _Hot girl on girl action_!" Tim joked lewdly.

"You perv, _hush_ ," Stephanie scolded as she snagged the bottle for herself. She spun it and stared intently as it moved. For a moment, it slowed and very nearly stopped on Dick, but at the last second, it landed on none other than... _Jason_.

Tim gasped as Stephanie grinned victoriously. Jason straightened up with undeniable interest, and Tim's heart sank as Stephanie twisted toward him. Jason leaned back on his hands and Stephanie might as well have been devouring him with her eyes. She clapped her hands on his shoulders and straddled over his lap seductively, earning a whooping catcall from Dick, and well...most of the group. Jason met her with an air and expression of absolute cockiness, and Stephanie tilted her head. All Tim could do was watch in horror. 

Stephanie pressed her lips against Jason's aggressively, and Dick cheered as he witnessed the first real tongue action in the whole game. Jason's lips parted willingly enough, and he made a show of gripping her hips as she dominated the kiss. It was wet, and sloppy, and she snared his lower lip with her teeth in a final display of sensuality.

" _Damn_ , I gotta fan myself real quick," Dick huffed, airing himself with his hands as the rest of the group catcalled them. Stephanie grinned meakly and brushed her hair behind her ear, which was beat red. Jason looked a little winded himself, and he grinned at Tim as their eyes met. Tim couldn't breathe; the very air caught in his throat, so all he could manage was a strained smile and pretending to glance away at something before Jason could notice. He threw an angry, muted look towards Stephanie, and she whined silently in a pleading apology.

Traitor.

A beat passed, then the clatter of a bottle could be heard against the ground.

"Ooh,  _yes_ , gimme some of that action," he heard Dick's voice and whipped around. He'd completely missed Jason's spin, and it landed on Dick. Tim felt the storm return to his guts and he sank down in disappointment. Why  _them_? Why did the two other people he'd kissed in this damn circle get to kiss Jason? He was being taunted by fate, he realized; the wicked wench. He didn't like this game.

Jason shifted forward onto his hands and locked lips with Dick. The older boy was so enthused, he cupped Jason's cheek as he slid in some tongue action of his own. Jason met Dick's initiation, of course (that boy would never back down from  _anything_ , apparently), and wrapped his fingers gingerly around Dick's wrist as he returned the affection.

Tim hated admitting to himself that he was jealous, but hated himself worse when he found himself mesmerized by the sight. It was a different, gentler display than with Stephanie; their tongues flickered in turn between their joined mouths, and the sheen across his pink lips glistened as Dick bobbed and nibbled at them playfully,  _artfully_ even.

"Mm," Dick hummed happily as he pulled away from Jason. "You are a  _phenomenal_ kisser, Jason. And if I can't woo Barbara  by prom, then I would  _love_ to kiss you again anytime," he winked.

Jason snorted and rolled his eyes humorously.

"Good luck with that Grayson. Hey Barbara," he called out the the red head. Barbara, who was as flushed in the face as dark as her hair (hell, everyone was after  _that_ display), piped up curiously. "His tongue work could still use some practice, don't give in to him just yet."

" _Hey_ ," Dick pouted as the crowd burst into laughter. Jason winked at him to ensure that he was only joking, and Dick shook his head, unable to completely hide the grin on his face. Tim grabbed the nearest solo cup to him (which happened to be Kon's) and knocked it back, chugging hard as the game resumed.

..................

It was almost 2:30  by the time Jason approached Tim. Tim had kept a distance from Jason ever since the game, for whatever reason, making sure to busy himself with Kon pretty much at all times. With Tim mooning over his brawny, stoic boyfriend, that left Jason to do fuck knows with Stephanie and _Dick_.  Not that it was necessarily a bad thing hanging out with Blondie and Mr. Handsy, but he would often fall into an awkward, gazing silence as the group around him babbled into inside jokes and topics that Jason wasn't familiar with. What the fuck, for example, was the difference between a Pilothouse and a Skylounge? Rich people. Jesus, without Tim, he felt... _weird_ , and at a loss.

He watched as Tim threw himself all over the quarterback, never once making eye contact with him again, even when everyone regrouped to pass a small ceramic pipe around. Jason, of course, politely declined and passed it along, but watching Dick and Stephanie suck in the smoke was hard to watch. It was downright uncomfortable when Tim snatched it and choked on two obnoxiously long hits. He'd already knocked back an indeterminate amount of beer, so he was absolutely blitzed by the time Jason decided he was partied out.

It took a moment to rack up all the courage he needed to approach the mess of giggles across the lawn that was Tim, but he managed it. Tim, he noticed, had to hang on to Kon to keep steady throughout whatever conversation they were having, but Kon didn't seem to mind. In fact, his large, beefy arm was pretty much comfortably drawn around Tim's shoulders at all times. Why did that make his gut sink at the sight? Tim hummed with contentment at something Kon said, and Luke was raving excitedly about some blitz during the game. At least until Jason approached and politely cleared his throat. Luke met him with a respectful smile, and Kon arched a careful brow at him.

"Oh, hey,  _hey_ , Jasson" Tim slurred, turning to face the guy with an unfocused smile. Jason furrowed his brows together in concern, hesitating to speak as Tim swayed. His eyes were unfocused, and the smile was sloppy and genuine. At least  _now_ he was acting like Jason existed.

"Hey," he replied uncertainly,

"Wassup?" Tim blinked slowly.

"It's...getting late, and I need to get home before I go to work," Jason reminded him slowly.

"Ooooh, tha's right," Tim nodded affirmatively, mashing wobbly fingers into his pocket to fetch the keys to Red Bird.

"Ah,  _no_ ," Jason shook his head urgently. "No, you should  _not_ be driving," Jason's hands were partially outstretched as if to catch him as he swayed. Kon's arm tightened around him protectively, and Jason felt his eyebrow twitch in annoyance (both at the display, and at the situation).

"Oh," Tim blinked, frowning as he tried to conjure coherent thoughts through the haze. Shit, what was he going to do? He'd drive the boy home and maybe ask for cabfare after, but the stupid Jock Monkey wouldn't let him anywhere  _near_ Tim. 

"You need a ride, Todd?" Kon chimed in, stroking Tim's arm in an obvious display of affection. Pea-cocking, much? Jeez. Tim just giggled happily and nuzzled into Kon's dark t-shirt.

"It... would seem so," Jason agreed somewhat reluctantly.

"No,  _no_ , Kon, stay with me," Tim pleaded, pawing at Kon's ribs with a pout. Kon tussled his hair with an affectionate, maybe even a little prideful smile before turning back to Jason, who was fighting off the impulse to gag dramatically.

"Look, we're all drinking right now, and, well," he chuckled, jostling Tim a bit, who grumbled at the movement. "Maybe just a _little_ bit intoxicated. Do you think you could just crash here with the rest of us and someone will give you a ride to work in the morning?" Kon suggested, and Jason's face contorted into a grimace.

"I'd really prefer not. I've gotta get home and check on my-...pets," he explained, fabricating the first excuse he could think of. It was close enough, after all, but Kon didn't need to know that. "You know, make sure they're fed, and all."

"Here, jus' take my car, mmkay?" Tim slurred tossing his keys at Jason haphazardly. Jason and Kon both jerked, staring down in utter surprise.

"Wait,  _what_ -"

"I- I really don't feel comfortable with that," Jason held the keys back out to Tim, wide eyed and shaking his head urgently.

"Please jus' go on, I'll have Kon help me pick 'er up tuhmorrow, 'kay?" Tim insisted, pushing the keys back into Jay's calloused hands. Jason hesitated, unsure and definitely uncomfortable as he shifted his feet. This had to be a trap. Physically, Jason was completely fine, sober even, and he could take care of the damn car. But Tim  _knew_ his neighborhood was super shitty right? Was he being set up here? The mustang would be lucky to last an hour unattended.

One good look at Tim's hazy, unfocused smile told him  _no_ ; Tim was just incredibly stupid right now.

"Go on, I'll take care of this one for now," Kon conceded, justled Tim affectionately as Jason visibly squirmed. "Just be sure to leave the keys in the glove box where we can find them," Kon instructed firmly. Jason winced and shrugged his assent.

 _Stupid_.

"I-...Alright, then," he mumbled, throwing his hands out in baffled surrender. It was a damn miracle he didn't snap  _whatever_ at them. "Later, Tim...I guess," he muttered, quickly turning his back and excusing himself. The party had been fun and all, but...what the hell had happened? He felt like he'd somehow gotten cheated, or...did he maybe do something wrong? The events of the night played over and over in his head, and he just couldn't place it. They had been all buddy-buddy, poking fun at each other and talking the whole night, but then...

Fuck.

Whatever. Either way, the night didn't end on the note Jason hoped it would. He sighed as he pulled out a cigarette on the way to the car, blazing it up as he slid into the driver seat. Fuck it. If Tim was drunk enough to make this call and blow him off, then he'd leave his mark as a little reminder. The boy could live with the smell of smoke in the cab. He huffed the cigarette almost bitterly on purpose just out of spite as he adjusted the seats and ignited the engine to life. 

What a night.

The funniest part? Although he was hardly feeling humorous... Tim was still wearing his _fucking hoodie_. What a sight _that_ had been under Kon's possessive arm. What an  _ass_ , Jeez.

But it was late, and he was _exhausted_. Jason didn't want to analyze this shit right now, and Tim would just have to apologize to him later.


	7. Dry Humor and Wet Buckets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tim confronts Stephanie about Jason, then tries to resolve things with Jason himself over the course of the school day. Guilty pining below, filler conversation before class, then an innocent prank. Enjoy :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back, everyone! Happy update!
> 
> Sorry it took so long, I've just been recovering from an illness but hopefully now that I'm getting better, updates should get back to some semblance of normal. Hope you all enjoy this chapter, even though it's pretty much filler until the Movie date (coming soon!)
> 
> Let me know what you think of Steph's progression, I'm really working with her and will be giving her a minor arc soon.

 "So, are we ever gonna talk about it?" Stephanie asked, breaking the rather long, awkward silence stretching between them. Tim did his best to avoid her stare, and had so far been successful, but it was a lot like ignoring a white hot spot light that made his skin burn with the intensity of it. It had been a hell of a lot easier silencing her texts and calls over the weekend, but now that they were here in the school parking lot on a dreary Monday morning, there was no more getting out of it. Tim sighed, letting his head fall back against the head rest with a quiet _thunk_. He stared at the bare hole where his stereo and GPS used to be, examining the array of colors from stray wires and trying to ignore the faint smell of smoke as he replied.

"About _what_ , Steph?" He really didn't intend to let the aggravation stain his tone that much, but now that it had, it felt  _good_ to let it out. The blonde winced beside him, expression partially hidden by the pre-dawn darkness. She was struggling with this, though, from what he could tell by the way the tugged the hem of her sweater and chewed her cheeks.

"Look, I'm sorry for kissing him, okay?" she blurted,  brown eyes averting down as she brushed a strand of hair behind her very pink ears. "I was playing the game, I just wanted to have a little  _fun_ -" Tim's guts churned when she mentioned her interaction with Jason; just picturing her straddling him like that made his blood go cold. Not to mention the whole thing with  _Dick_.

 _Ugh_.

This really wasn't the time to get into this conversation, with only 20 minutes before the first bell and all, but he'd been tormented about this all weekend and it was too damn much to keep at it for another day, let alone a  _school_ day.

"You were flirting with him half the night, Steph," Tim retorted stiffly, shifting his gaze up to the rear view just to keep avoiding her face. He could feel his hands twitch with the urge to cross over his chest, but he kept still. "If you really liked him, you should have  _told_ me, not-" fuck, his throat clenched hotly and he had to force himself to continue. "Not  _that_."

"I get that," Stephanie hung her head thickly, ponytail lolling over her shoulder as she moved. "But you were flirting with him, too," her voice was low, but the accusation was clear. Tim grimaced and turned to glare at her. Stephanie's eyes dilated with hope when Tim finally looked at her, but otherwise her expression was guarded.

"Don't-" Tim glowered as a frown darkened his features.

"You followed him around like a  _puppy_ ," Stephanie insisted, shifting in the passenger seat to better face him. "You were blushing and giggling at everything he said, smoking cigarettes with him, which you  _hate_ -" she reminded him tersely, gesturing to the cabin around them for the proof, to which Tim winced. "Do I  even have to bring up the  _hoodie_ thing?" At this point, Tim groaned and scraped his hands over his face tiredly, and Stephanie's brows twitched into a half-smug  countenance.

"Maybe I was trying to do you a favor and snap you out of it, Tim, did you think of that?" she accused, brown eyes flaring the spotlight back up on him again. A brief bite of guilt stung his insides, but recalling the way she crawled towards Jason in the game circle and bit his lip like a _tramp_ , Tim quickly sneered his lips and angrily shook his head.

"You're  _into_ him," he fired back. "Don't try to play the  _favor_ card and act like you aren't. So what if I pined a little bit? Did you really think I'd fuck up that badly, right after  _this_ ," he jerked his hand right up in front of her startled face to display the small, silver band of the promise ring Kon had given him at the game. The little gems in the center didn't quite glitter in the dimness of the morning, but the jewelry still had a small, residual glow. Stephanie hesitated in discomfort as she eyed the silver.

"Fine, you get that point. But you can't change the fact that you _did_ pine, and you acted like a _jealous toddler_ after the kissing thing," she conceded, crossing her arms and staring at him sternly. Tim's cheeks warmed involuntarily at the truth of it, and he shrugged jerkily.

"You flaunted yourself all over him. _Purposefully,"_ Tim emphasized as a reminder, and it was Stephanie's turn to blush as she sucked her bottom lip in guiltily. "You were either _trying_ to get a reaction out of me, or you were trying to seduce him. Or maybe both, whatever. Either way, you're a selfish fucking-" he cut himself off before he called her the name and had to take a deep breath. Still, the damage was already done. Stephanie's eyes widened and jaw dropped, obviously hurt, and Tim cursed himself.

"I'm sorry. Shit," he added quickly after her brown eyes began to water. She clenched her teeth and turned away starkly, raising up a curt, silencing hand. Tim sighed, resigned, and closed his eyes.

"I'm  _sorry_ , Steph, I didn't mean that," he tried again wearily, keeping his eyes closed. He heard the fabric of her sweater shift against his leather seats, probably to hide a small sniffle. "I...I'm an asshole. I'm so sorry," he murmured.

"You totally are, but..." she swallowed shakily, briefly interrupting herself as she attempted a reply. Tim dared to open his eyes to find her curled up, knees to chest in her seat as she glared at the ground. "You're right. You're a fucking hypocrite, but... you're right. I shouldn't have acted that- that...." she gestured her hands as she looked for the right word. 

" _Wild_. I was kind of a drunk idiot, and I got excited when the bottle landed on him, you know? He's still so...  _new_ , and attractive, and...you know,  _interesting_ ," she giggled reluctantly, curling in on herself tighter at her own admission. Tim released a breath and laughed softly along with her. She glanced up at him hopefully, but his gaze was locked on the empty radio slot again for a long, silent moment.

"I get where you're coming from," he finally nodded slowly, sinking back against his seat. "I pulled a stupid move, too, obviously," he gestured toward the maimed void in his dash board, and Stephanie couldn't hold back a quiet snort.

"You don't think  _Jason_ was the one to..." Stephanie's face twisted before she could even string the sentence together, and Tim quickly shook his head to dispel that thought.

" _No_ ," he replied almost too swiftly, causing Stephanie to quirk a brow. "No. He parked it at the church at the end of his street and left me a note on his front door. If he wanted to, he could've just stolen the whole car instead of going through so much trouble," Tim reasoned, and Stephanie shrugged nonchalantly at his logic. Tim had nearly been devastated when he'd finally found his car in that state, and it certainly didn't help the migraine that accompanied the worst hangover of his life. Kon had wanted to call the police. Tim...poor Tim had just wanted some aspirin.

"Besides, he's not like that," Tim shook his head. "It was my fault for not considering it was  _Crime Alley_ ," Tim scoffed lightly at himself, and he could see Stephanie smirk at him through his peripherals.

"Your insurance will cover it, though, right?" she questioned, and Tim nodded.

"Next week, yeah."

"Good," she nodded, trailing off into silence. Tim was comfortable enough to join her in the quiet, staring off into space as the first rays of dawn started twinkling over the school exterior.

"Do you...you know, really like Jason?" the question was unexpected on both their parts, but Stephanie's eyes drooped as she considered it. Tim's heart quickened as he stared in the suspense. He really hoped she knew she could be honest, but...he didn't know what he would feel if she said yes. A dull ache resounded through his chest at the thought, and he swallowed. Resigned. Resigned is probably it.

"I dunno, honestly. He's... a pretty cool guy," Stephanie shrugged and chose her words carefully when she finally decided to speak. Tim blinked, chewing on his cheek as she continued. "He's nice, funny, and all that junk. I feel like we could definitely be friends, but..." and this is when Tim leaned in more closely as brown eyes bore into blues. She cracked a small smile at him.

"Don't let this go to your head or anything, I'm _not_ trying to get your hopes up, but... he seemed more into _you_ than anything," she whispered. Tim's eyes popped, blinking repeatedly in mild shock.

"Steph,  _what_?" he half-laughed, shaking his head. She shrugged noncommittally and smoothed a hand through her hair.

"I dunno, but he seemed awfully comfortable when he put his arm around you, or you know...gave you his  _hoodie_ ," she pointed out with a teasing smirk. Tim's own lips quirked with embarrassment, and he shook his head.

"He was just being nice, Steph," Tim waved her off with a light blush grazing his cheeks.

"I mean, if you say so, but he didn't ask for it  _back_ , did he?" she grinned with a devious twinkle in her eye. Tim's chest tightened as he shook his head.

"I mean, I told him I would, I just...kind of forgot?" Tim winced, biting at his lip as Stephanie grumbled an  _Uh huh_ at him. "I'm washing it, okay? It probably still smells like booze anyway," his skin warmed with a blush, because  _that_ was a lie. A small one, but still. The hoodie was sprawled on his bed like it had been all weekend, half propped up on the pillows; he knew for a fact it still smelled of cigarettes and...and  _Jason_. He should've just brought it with him like he promised, but as he was leaving, he just...couldnt. Hadn't been quite able to.

"Maybe that's why he was  _super_ bummed when you blew him off after the game," she insisted, poking him in the ribs and making him wince guiltily.

"Oh,  _shit_ ," he groaned, covering his face with his hands in mortification. "I almost forgot about that, he must _hate_ me! I've got to apologize to him," Tim all but squeaked, and Stephanie laughed, picking up her backpack as Tim finally pulled his door open.

"He probably doesn't hate you, but you should  _definitely_ apologize," she nodded, adopting a slightly more earnest, serious expression. "Invite him to the game  _this_ Friday, too. Make up for the whole party thing. We can even do a Netflix marathon at my place afterward to keep it low key," she suggested helpfully as Tim slugged his bookbag over his shoulders. Tim almost agreed, but froze at the last second when he remembered something Jason had said. Or asked, rather, while they were on the stands at the game. He squeezed his eyes shut and gulped thickly, hoping he hadn't botched that chance by being such a dick.

"I can't," Tim's voice wavered ever so slightly before he swallowed.

"Awe, _why_?" Stephanie whined as they met at the hood of the car. He sighed, glancing toward the school entrance stiffly where the cafeteria was waiting just on the other side. If Tim was lucky, they might still be selling coffee before the bell rang, but at this rate he and Stephanie were gonna spend all morning outside and he was going to have to stay twitchy.

"Because..." he squirmed reluctantly, debating whether or not to actually tell her. To be fair, she'd been honest with him earlier, so...

"He asked if I wanted to come see a movie with him and a couple of friends from his work."

Stephanie stopped dead and her shock was palpable as her  eyes popped and jaw dropped. She seemed... scandalized, and half thrilled (the smile twitching at her lips was a dead giveaway) at the information, and was stuck buffering on just how to react.

"And you didn't... _tell me_?!" she shrieked quietly, snatching the sleeve of his polo and jerking him closer urgently to face her wild eyed exasperation. Tim couldn't suppress a small laugh.

"I was  _mad_ at you," he pouted, jutting his lip out in a faux display. Stephanie chortled, and Tim gently tugged himself out of her grip to start walking again. "Besides, I'm telling you  _now,_  aren't I?"

"Whatever, uh huh," she was unfazed by his half assed apology as they approached the entrance. "You'd better behave yourself when you go. Have you told Kon? Oh my god, what are you going to  _wear_?" Tim was so taken aback by his friend and emotionally exasperated from their conversation, that he just laughed.

..........................

Talking to Jason, or trying to, anyway, proved _significantly_ harder.

Tim rarely saw Jason in the hallways between classes, which meant that the only chance he'd get to talk to him was in Lit class, or in Tutoring. His anxiety was growing steadily through the first two classes, so when the bell finally rang, releasing him and Steph from 2nd period Photojournalism, Stephanie patted him on the back for luck as he reluctantly trudged toward 3rd period. It took only two minutes to reach the room, as usual, but this time as he rounded the door, his fingers ached from where he'd been wringing them. He could feel his pulse slamming in his throat as he spied Jason (the sole student, so far) toward the far wall; he was slumped over his desk, leaning against his hand as he stared off into space. He looked a little tired, Tim noticed, but the boy must have felt Tim looking, because in a second, Jason's eyes flicked up to his. Tim froze in place, unsure of what to do, and Jason quickly but purposefully glanced away.

" _Excuse_ me," an impatient huff whiffed at his ear, and Tim jumped, moving out of doorway to let an expectant pair of junior girls past him to their seats.

"Sorry," he muttered sheepishly, before padding quickly over towards Jason's side of the room. It wasn't his normal seating area; he usually preferred seats in the back rows, but god help him, this was important. Jason still wasn't looking at him, but by the way his shoulders stiffened when Tim slid into the desk next to him, he knew Tim was there.

"Erm, hey," Tim managed to greet in a high, nervous pitch as he set his back pack underneath him.

"Hi," Jason offered hesitantly, finally halfway turning to him to talk. His brow was partly raised in careful curiosity, but the thin press of his lips warned of caution.

"Listen, I-...I wanted to-" God damn, his nerves were through the fucking roof, but Jason seemed to sense where this was going, because he waved a dismissive hand and shook his head.

"We've got like, two minutes before the bell rings. We can talk about it later," his voice dropped to a low, passive whisper as more students filtered in through the door. Tim blinked, taken aback.

"O-oh," was all he could manage, and he couldn't help the disappointment that settled in his chest. Which was weird, because he was supposed to be dreading this Tim had been expecting anger, bitterness, or even contempt. Possibly even the cold, hard silent treatment, but Jason had just reacted...indifferently? Rationally, even? It was almost a relief, but at the same time, if he weren't so good at maintaining a poker face, he might have pouted at the postponement. 

"You don't mind if I sit here, then, do you?" Tim's voice was still a pitch too high, and Jason's expression (or lack of, rather) shifted into something slightly softer.

"You wanna sit with the commoners, now?" he quirked his brow. Tim deflated for a moment before realizing the sharp tug of Jason's lips; he was just  _joking_ , he realized with relief. Or mostly joking, at least. He was never quite for sure with Jason.

"Common _er_ ; as in, singular," Tim scolded gently, angling for humor with a small, crooked grin. "We're in and English class, Jason. Miss Kyle would be offended at your grammar." Jason snorted appreciatively and nodded.

"That's fair."

"Besides, the modern term is 'pleb', and I'd rather hang out with you  _plebs_ than with those snobs," Tim chuckled as he jerked his head over towards the chattering girls who'd snapped at him moments earlier. Jason grinned brightly in obvious amusement.

" _Pleb_ , as in  _singular_ ," Jason mocked Tim's earlier words lightly.

"Nope," Time popped the 'P' sound smugly and leaned in more closely towards the boy, who arched a skeptical brow. "Stephanie's technically a pleb, too; she's on scholarship just like you, so you can't use that excuse,  _ha_ ," Tim stuck his tongue out triumphantly, and Jason waved his hands in a placating gesture.

"Blondie's a commoner, too, huh?" he nodded, impressed. "I think I like her a little more now. What about your muscle-head boyfriend?" At the mention of Kon, Tim hummed and absently began to finger the small ring around his fingers.

"Not...exactly. His dad's a world renowned journalist from Metropolis, but he started out as a farm boy from Kansas, so he's kind of a humble in-between," Tim shrugged, closing his hand into a fist to prevent himself from fidgeting too much.

"Metropolis?" Jason seemed surprised. "He comes here all the way from  _Metropolis_ everyday? Isn't that like...a two hour drive?"

"He says it takes just over an hour before school if he beats traffic," Tim laughed lightly. "Closer to two afterwards, especially with his practices everyday."

"Jesus," Jason whistled sympathetically, shaking his head. "That must not leave a whole lotta time for you to hang out with him," Jason frowned, and Tim bit his lip.

"That's...true, unfortunately. He stays the weekends in Gotham with me or with his friends sometimes, and I see him at games and dates and stuff," Tim defended awkwardly, though technically he had no reason to feel defensive. Jason wasn't antagonizing him, after all (from what he could tell), just making a sympathetic observation.

"Uh huh... okay. Why does he commute so far again?" Jason furrowed his brows, shaking his baffled head again as he mouthed the word  _'Metropolis_?' _._

"Same reason everyone else comes to Gotham Academy," Tim reasoned with a shrug. "Same reason you applied for a scholarship, I suppose; we're the most prestigious high school educational institution this side of the Mississippi. You go here, you pretty much get get into whatever college you want."

"Okay, fair...again.," Jason nodded, knitting his brows together in a sudden, thoughtful grimace.

"So... if we're talking road to _higher_ education, do you have any plans for college yet?" Jason prompted, leaning forward with genuine curiosity as he folded his hands together. The question had taken Tim by surprise, and he blanched; what  _did_ he want? Stephanie was dead set on Gotham U, and Kon of course wanted to go to University of Metropolis after graduation this year. His mother, Janet, however, had been insisting on Tim attending an Ivy League since grade school, and Tim honestly just...didn't know. There was a push for so many different directions, Tim had actively avoided thinking about it just to prevent the inevitable anxious melt down. Jason must have seen him grimace, because he immediately opened his mouth to say something, but was (unfortunately) cut off by the final bell resonating loudly through the speakers.

Their concentration broke, and on instinct, all eyes in the classroom turned toward the front desk where Miss Kyle was smoothing out her pencil skirt and standing to her feet.

Tim flashed Jason an apologetic smile. ' _Later_ _?_ _'_ he mouthed silently.

"Good morning, guys," Miss Kyle greeted cheerfully, as per usual.

Jason shrugged dismissively and nodded a wordless ' _Sure_.'

"Good Morning, Miss Kyle," Tim chimed along out loud with the sea of students around them.

..........................

 The final half of the day passed entirely too slowly compared to the breakneck pace that morning. Of course, it was comforting knowing that Jason didn't completely resent him, but by the time the final bell released them for the day, Tim's leg had been vibrating under the desk with anticipation to see him again.

He felt a text buzz in his pocket as he shot up from his seat, and he quickly whipped his phone out and opened it as he shouldered his bag.

_I'm riding the bus today, right?_

It was Steph, and Tim rolled his cheek tenderly between his teeth with a smidge of pity. He usually drove her to and from home, especially since they shared yearbook club together every Thursday. Wednesdays were sometimes tricky, since she had signed up for drama club, but Tim had no problem hanging around for an extra hour usually. He'd sit in with either her or at the football field watching Kon's practice (save for last Wednesday where he'd chosen to work with Jason for the game's sake instead). Mondays were the only discrepant days, otherwise. She knew that already, so he was honestly surprised she had to ask.

**Unless you wanna wait for an hour and a half. Sorry.**

**The students of Gotham need me, what can I say?**

 

Her reply was nearly instantaneous, and he wanted to roll his eyes as the sea of students swarmed around him for their escape.

_The "students". Okay ;)_

**Shut up, Steph~**

He was quickly closing in on the librarydoors when when he sent another text as an afterthought, this time to Kon.

**Have fun at practice. <3 you** _._

He didn't get a reply this time, but honestly Kon was probably already in the locker room changing, so it didn't bother him. He slid the phone into his back pocket as he finally approached and pulled the library doors open. He was greeted as usual with the familiar, musty smell of books and the low tune hum of computers as he padded towards the common area. Jason was already waiting, of course, and this time the older boy looked up and greeting him with the trademark Todd smirk. Tim felt his heart skip an eager beat as he proffered an amicable wave.

That was about all the conversation they managed before their students came clamoring in. There were four total today, so Jason and Tim agreed to take two each. This time, Tim was working with a freshman boy in Trigonometry, and a sophomore girl he recognized from his Health class with an make-up Physics exam. Jason had taken on his usual, Matt, from the same Trig class as Tim's freshman, and also a  _senior_ struggling with  _Advanced Calculus_. He was pretty sure Jason was only taking a pre-Calc class since he was a Junior, so he couldn't help but try to eavesdrop and catch a snatch or two of conversation.

"Okay, so I'm not gonna lie, I haven't seen this formula before so we're going to flip to-...." 

"Alright, I see, section A says to use the variable for-..."

"No, no, keep the negative in mind for the graph-..."

Jason was learning the material  _with_ this girl, and she audibly gasped when her answer finally matched the one given in the back of the textbook.

" _Thank you, thank you so much_ -"

"Hey, can you help explain what the difference between the two wave effects? I keep getting them mixed up," Tim's own student interrupted as she frowned at her sheet.

"Oh! Sure thing," Tim jumped, nearly breaking the tip of his mechanical pencil at the startle and chuckling at himself.

It was over, to Tim's surprised disappointment, more quickly than he would have anticipated.

"Thanks, Tim," his classmate grinned as she finally folded her papers up and buried them messily into her textbook. Tim hid a pained wince at her disorganized approach to storing her paperwork (it was probably what made her lose the first test to begin with, but he digresses), and replied in kind. His Trig freshman chattered openly with Matt as they left the Library, and that left the senior over at Jason's table literally throwing her arms around him with relieved tears pricking her eyes. There was a baffled surprise painted on his face, but otherwise he was grinning and patting her back in kind.

"I was so scared, I thought I was going to  _fail_ ," she sniffed, pulling away and wiping none to discreetly at her eyes as her hair fluttered over her shoulder.

"You've got it, now, Cara, right? Don't sweat it. I'm here every Monday and Wednesday, I'll help you review anytime," he urged seriously as she stowed her book back in her bag.

"Okay," she nodded wetly with a grateful smile. She flushed when she caught Tim looking, and she nodded politely as he stepped out of her way. It wasn't until the sound of her mild sniffling faded from the stacks that Tim turned back around to Jason in awe.

"That was incredib-  _yeek_!" he squeaked when he found Jason standing immediately behind him. His heart clamored in his throat and he leapt back involuntarily, nearly smacking into another table, before un-clenching his muscles and trying to recover from the cold shock. Jason lit up and  _grinned_ at him before bursting into a throaty bought of chortled laughter.

"You snuck up on me!" Tim whined, cheeks reddening into a pout as he straightened himself up.

"Nah, you just suck at being observant. You're fine, Princess," he joked, elbowing Tim smugly. Tim stuck his tongue out defiantly at the new nickname as they fell into a comfortable pace towards the hall.

"So...You get your car back in one piece?" Jason teased lightly as they exited the library, holding the door open for Tim before letting it fall closed behind them.

" _No_ ," Tim pouted, finally wiping that smug smile right off Jason's face inside a second. The undiluted horror that replaced it, however, was enough to sober Tim right out of his sulk.

"Relax, the car's fine. Mostly," he amended, throwing his hands up in a calming gesture. Jason's face quickly morphed into something stony and suspicious.

"Somebody took the radio console and the GPS, but its okay, I'm getting it fixed" he elaborated slowly, earning an eye twitching grimace from the elder boy.

"Fuck... I'm sorry," a calloused hand paraded through his hair, mussing it spectacularly. "I tried to keep her in the safest place I could, but leave it to my neighborhood to fuck with a  _church_ -"

"Jason, it's  _fine_ ," Tim interrupted, shaking his head with exasperation as Jason winced. He seemed to shrink in on himself, despite Tim's plea, and shifted into a twitchiness that made Tim's skin itch to watch.

"I'll pay you back," he offered quietly, clear eyes hidden as they cast to the floor. Tim blinked and huffed out a soft, pitying laugh as he shook his head.

"You don't have to, honestly. My insurance has it completely covered," Tim waved dismissively, plastering a smile on his face in hopes that Jason would maybe relax and not be so hard on himself.

"But-"

"Listen, as far as I'm concerned, we're even," Tim insisted determinedly, crossing his arms and stepping forward to glare up into Jay's eyes pointedly. "I'd rather have lost a simple radio than say, plaster my car into the asphalt because I drove it drunk instead," Tim shrugged reasonably. Jason squinted at him with a funny look, and Tim swallowed when he felt his face start to heat.

"Besides, it kind of serves me right for being a-...a _dick_ ," he struggled earnestly, fiddling his fingers as he took his own turn to stare at the floor. He couldn't see Jason's expression, but his feet shifted in front of him, and Tim wondered what that meant. "I shouldn't have left you hanging like I did. _I_ put you in that situation, and it was wrong, and I feel so  _awful_ -" Jason wasn't saying anything, and Tim's pulse was starting to quicken with panic as he squirmed.

"I don't really have a good excuse other than I'm an idiot and you deserved better,  _please_ don't hate me, I promise to make it up to-"

" _Dude_ ," Jason interrupted, sounding  _entertained_  of all things. Tim jerked his eyes up to a bemused looking Jason. "Breathe, will you? Take a walk with me, we can talk now," he murmured, patting his shoulder gently and jerking his chin toward a nearby hallway. There was still a stray student or two drifting every now and then through the doors, and the request was innocent enough that Tim nodded, letting Jason lead him forward.

"Listen," Jason began again after they tread a good ways down the corridor. Their footsteps echoed across the tiles crisply, and Tim focused very hard on keeping his breathing calm and even. "I'll be honest, I  _was_ kind of pissed when you ignored me after the game. I couldn't figure out what the hell your  _problem_ was."

Holy shit. Tim winced at Jay's words, because god  _damn_ , did he always have to be so blunt? Moreover...did he figure it out? Was Tim exposed, now? Jay's expression was smooth and gave nothing away, so Tim swallowed hard.

"And then I realized that you probably just wanted to hang out with Lughead...what's-his-name,  _Kon_ ," Jason waved thoughtful gestures in the air as he recalled Tim's boyfriend. It took Tim by surprise, to be honest, and he parted his lips curiously at Jason's train of thought. "It was a big night for you guys, right? With the whole Homecoming thing, and all," he smiled, gesturing down languidly at Tim's ring. They pulled to a stop at the end of the hall in front of a set of double wooden doors; the pool, Tim acknowledged somewhere in his mind. Jason pondered up at the ceiling and scratched his jaw before continuing.

"He's not a Lughead," Tim objected mildly, and Jason smirked and nodded apologetically.

"You're right," Jason conceded. "Still, you get what I'm sayin', right? I didn't wanna cut in on your time, it just...sucked, suddenly being by myself surrounded by people I barely knew. Then you kinda just cast me off like you did, which I guess was better than you  _driving_ , but still. It fucking stung." 

Tim shrank down and wrapped his arms around himself meekly. Yeah, what he was saying made a lot of sense, and Tim felt like absolute shit for making Jason feel so estranged and alone. He swallowed thickly, wincing as he tried to come up with something... _anything_ , some kind of apology.

"I-...Jason, I'm so-"

"Don't bother. It's fine," Jason shook his head dismissively. "I had the weekend to cool my head a little bit, focus on work and stuff. It's fine, just..." Jason trailed off with an exasperated huff, slinging his hands to rest on his hips. Tim widened his eyes hopefully.

"Just.... _Don't_ leave me hanging again?" The smile on Jason's face was slightly patronizing, but genuine; it was his eyes that were piercing and bright with an unspoken... _promise_ of some kind, and Tim shivered. After all, no matter how much it had sounded like it, Tim was pretty damn sure that it hadn't truly been a question, or even a request...but an ultimatum.

"Are we cool?" Jason removed one of the hands on his hips and extended it to Tim in a truce.

"I-  _yeah_ ," Tim's voice wavered with relieved laughter as he clasped the calloused fingers. "I think I'm done with parties for a while, anyway; no more alcohol fueled stupidity for me," Tim promised humorously. Jason smirked appreciatively and let their hands slowly fall apart as he chuckled.

"So now that that's out of the way, you wanna check out this pool?" Jason jerked his head toward the double doors mischievously. Tim furrowed his brows in an obvious  _Huh?_  and Jason snickered.

"Why?" Tim flicked his eyes suspiciously between the pool entrance and Jason's devious face. "You're not gonna push me in, are you?"

" _No_ ," Jason snorted, and Tim arched a brow in disbelief.

"No. Jesus, I swear I won't push you," Jason promised, lifting his right hand and rolling his eyes.

"Then  _why_?" Tim blinked, baffled as Jason winked at him and pushed through into the dimly lit pool room. The metal bleachers were condensed down and pushed back neatly against the wall, and the tiles glowed dully in the blue pool lights emanating just ten feet in front of them. He heard Jason inhale deeply at his side, and for the life of him, he couldn't understand  _why_ ; it just smelled like chlorine and  _feet_. Tim scrunched his own nose and turned toward Jason curiously.

"You're not on the swim team, are you? I mean, no judgement or anything, but the season's not 'til next semester, so you're a little early," Tim joked amicably. Jason offered a small glance form the side of his eyes, and there was that mischievous little smirk again.

"Nah. I'm not much of a swimmer," his voice rumbled with amusement from his chest. The echo of it was rich as it resonated across the tile floor.

"Sooo...what are we doing here?" Tim squinted up, confused.

"I was wondering if you could give me a ride home," Jason murmured simply, stepping forward and keeping his eyes on the pool, scanning the gentle waves with inexplicable interest.

"You came  _here_ to ask me for a  _ride_?" Tim chortled in disbelief; what was Jason playing at?

"Oh, no, definitely not. I could do that anywhere," Jason shook his head, eyes glinting mischievously. Tim eyed him distrustfully and bit his lip.

"Jason-"

" _Will you_ give me a  _ride home_ ," Jason repeated insistently, and Tim shrugged, at a loss.

"Sure, I guess," he agreed with a resigned sigh. "What's this  _about_ , Jason?" The sudden glee in Jason's grin was as alarming as it was stunning to behold. Tim sucked in an uncertain breath.

"Awesome. Where are your keys?" 

"My keys?" Tim grumbled, reaching for his pocket in confusion and then stopping cold when he found the fabric empty. He heard a faint jingling from where Jason was standing, and he glanced back up in horror to meet Jason's wicked, gleaming grin.

Now he understood.

"Jason," called out, gasping stiffly and flailing out a pleading hand. Jason stepped closer toward the pool and dangled his keys over the water in warning. "Jason,  _please_ , come on," he whined, listening as the high pitch bounced across the tiles throughout the room.

"Please what?" Jason cooed innocently, jangling the silver again. Tim squirmed in place and groaned.

"How did you even-" a picturesque flash of a certain sneak-up in the Library came to mind even as he asked. "Fuck, never mind, just... please _d_ _on't_ ," Tim begged, and Jason smirked in bemusement.

"Come on, it's just a little payback. Can't take a prank, Tim?" the crooked smile was deceptively sweet, and Tim's heart fluttered in his chest.

"Yeah,  _ha ha_ , it was hilarious. Give me my _keys_ , Jason," Tim demanded, though it came out more desperate than he would have liked.

"You're not gonna blow me off ever again?" Jason prompted haughtily, shaking the keys tauntingly as Tim hissed with discomfort.

"I won't, I _swear_ ," Tim squeaked as Jason dangled them dangerously low over the wet surface.

"You're not going to ignore me and leave me to Blondie's mercy?" his brow arched delicately.

"Never again," Tim promised, straightening up slowly, placating the older boy and eyeing the keys with a tight breath.

"You're going to pay me the ten bucks you owe me?"

" _What_? Oh-" Tim blanched and nearly scoffed in exasperation. "Yes, yes, of course," Tim nodded. "But if we're playin' that way,  _you_ still owe me a meal," Tim reminded sharply, and Jason laughed, rolling his eyes.

"I was gonna take care of that on Friday, dipshit," was his cathartic response. Tim's eyes widened in surprise, and something in his chest floated, ascending right out of his body.

"We're still on?" the excitement in his voice was almost embarrassing as it echoed throughout the pool, and Jason frowned just slightly enough to alter his previously smug countenance.

"Yeah? Duh?" he shook his head at Tim with a fond, patronizing scoff. Tim was beaming now, despite his keys still being held hostage in Jason's hand.

"Oh, good," he chucked in relief. "I thought I might have-...." he cleared his throat, trailing off uncomfortably. "Anyway, I'll  _need_ those keys if we're gonna have dinner and a movie, after all," Tim pointed out cheekily before sticking out his hand and gesturing for Jason to give up and hand over the keys. Jason arched a brow at the challenge, and then Tim realized he'd made a mistake the moment the other boy's expression molted into a leer.

"You're right, what was I thinking?" Jason crooned, tossing the keys up (giving Tim a small heart attack) and catching them again easily. "You can have your keys back, Tim. You just gotta come _get_ 'em."

"Jason, please,  _no_ -" but it was too late. Jason had haphazardly tossed the keys over his shoulder and just  _gloated_ at Tim as he stared in horror, watching as they fell into the pool with a loud  _plop_ and sinking slowly into the deepest end. After they sank gracelessly into the cement below, he darted his eyes to Jason and glowered stormily at him.

"Oops," Jason shrugged, smirking innocently.

"You asshole," Tim fired back, tugging at the hem of his polo and yanking it gruffly over his head.


	8. Easy, Peasy, Fettuccine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> hELLO I just whipped out another chapter about Tim feels. I swear I'll get a Jason chapter done soon, but first I wanted to include Kon a little more in the story and flesh Tim's home life out just a tad bit. There's some Timkon fluff (and partial smut, teehee) in the beginning, but then its all feels. Enjoy!

"I'm sorry, you're doing  _what_ with Jason Todd?" Kon barked. He gave Tim the ice-blue stare of disapproval, and Tim winced from across the bed. Tim's little dip in the pool had been the day before, and now that his relationship with Stephanie and Jason was repaired, the last matter to address was his own boyfriend. It was at Stephanie's insistence that Tim confess things to Kon... at least the part about the movies on Friday. He'd texted today before Kon's practice, and he was willing enough to stop by afterward, to Tim's delight. So after dropping Stephanie off dutifully (with the promise to text her immediately and let her know what Kon said), he returned home, hidden Jason's hoodie (that he STILL hadn't managed to give back), and busied himself with homework and Pretty Little Liars his room.  Once the boy finally arrived, wearing his usual smile and black t-shirt gettup, Tim finally sat him down and bit the bullet. He...hadn't taken it very well.

"I'm going with Jason and some friends to see a movie," Tim repeated bravely as he could, and Kon's jaw constricted in turn. Tim immediately scooted closer, placing a reassuring palm against Kon's large, round shoulders.

"It's no big deal," Tim soothed quickly, stroking his thumb comfortingly and tangling their fingers together with his free hand. "It's just him and a couple of girls from the diner is all."

"I'm not worried about the girls, I'm worried about  _him_ ," Kon growled, and his lip jutted out in an angry, though unmistakable pout. Tim wanted to laugh at the cuteness, but held himself fast.

"Why?" Tim scoffed, taken aback and shaking his head. "It's just Jason. I thought you liked him? You seemed okay with him at the party," Tim retorted, pressing his cheek into the crook of Kon's neck. Kon grunted, giving in to Tim and shifting and wrapping his arms around him. Tim hummed happily in response.

"I didn't really talk to him much... but I don't like the way he kept lookin' at you all night," Kon grumbled an explanation into Tim's hair. Tim frowned, mostly in a confusion that made his chest flutter, knowing that Kon couldn't see it pressed up against his chest like he was. Jason had been looking at him? He carefully stifled the fluttering his his heart and pulled away with a doctored, placating kind of expression.

"I didn't notice. I was kinda with my boyfriend all night," Tim replied gently, playing with a stray lock of Kon's hair in front of his ear. That seemed to ease Kon a bit, and his shoulders relaxed slightly. Kon's fingers were drifting across Tim's back now as he contemplated this.

"I still don't know if I trust him," Kon admitted through a twisted grimace. "He seemed pretty content kissing _Dick_. For all I know, he could be trying to make a move; what if his 'girlfriends' conveniently 'cancel'?" he clenched his jaw, fingers twitching against Tim's shirt. "Or what if he's just casing you out? Honestly, he's probably the one who stole your damn radio," Kon reasoned further, and Tim's face dropped into a half-irritated scowl.

"First of all, he's not a  _thief_ , Kon," Tim scolded. Kon looked unimpressed. "He's never stolen anything from me. He lives in  _Crime Alley_ , it wasn't his fault. It was _mine_ , but honestly I'm tired of having the 'I was drunk and stupid' conversation, so that's that. Second, Jason's never once made a move on me or even implied he liked  _guys_ at all. As far as Dick goes, _everyone_ is Dick-sexual," he joked haphazardly, trying to keep the image of Dick caressing Jason's jaw far,  _far_ away as he jabbed playfully at Kon's arm. The older boy scoffed, but it was an indulgent one, thankfully.

"Plus, did you _see_ the hickeys on him that night? He may be involved with someone already, so that's a little unfair to assume," Tim pointed out, and Kon made a face uncomfortably.

"Third...and this is the _most_ important," Tim gestured, smiling ever so slightly, "I'm already involved with  _you_ , dummy." He used his forefinger to prod emphatically against Kon's broad chest as he spoke, and Kon leaned back on the bed, supporting himself by his hands as he smirked. "Trust me enough to send the dogs packing if one comes barking, will you?" 

"Alright, alright," Kon nodded, eyes gentle and calm once again as Tim sighed with relief. "You put a lot of thought into that, huh?" he observed, bemused as Tim's cheeks started to flush.

"Well, yeah," Tim admitted, sinking onto his elbow and resting his chin against his palm. "I was afraid you'd get a little  _protective_ , so I wanted to make sure you were okay with everything," Tim grinned lightly, and Kon snorted, moving down to mirror Tim's position at his eye level.

"Is that your way of calling me jealous?" Kon quirked his brow up teasingly, and Tim giggled.

"I would  _never_ ," Tim shook his head innocently. Kon snorted and snaked an arm around his waist, pulling Tim tight suddenly against his chest and pressing a mushy kiss against his temple. Tim shrieked out a delighted laugh and squeezed Kon's shoulder with affection. It was the hand with the promise ring on it, shining blue and red under the lamplight, and Kon beamed down at it softly.

"I'm glad you like that," he murmured, gesturing at the jewelry with his chin. "I like knowing that you're mine."

"I wear it every day," Tim chimed proudly, flexing his finger to better admire the thing.

"Really?" Kon's face lit up, and Tim's heart melted. He nodded, and Kon bent down to capture his lips in a series of happy, hasty kisses across his lips, cheeks and jaw. Tim mewled at the attention and slithered his fingers up and around Kon's neck for a gentle caress.

"Better stop all that, otherwise someone might mistake you for a sap," Tim joked, twinkling his eyes up at the older boy tenderly.

"I guess I'm a sap, then," Kon retorted with a soft snort.

Tim opened his mouth to muster a response, but Kon caught and kissed him again, this time wet and intimate enough to draw Tim in with a moan. He pressed a knee up against Kon's hip and wound his arms around his broad back in tandem, pressing himself closer. Kon took the hint and rolled them over, resting his hands on either side of Tim's head and dwarfing over him as Tim eased onto his back.

"We don't have to do anything you're not ready for," Kon murmured quietly into Tim's ear, making him shiver as he nodded his consent. Almost 10 months together, and despite the many, many jokes about it from their friends, they hadn't _actually_ had sex yet. Not completely, anyway; third base was about as far as they'd ever dared to go before Tim would shy back and blush with hurried apologies.

Kon, bless him, never minded too much; in fact, he was usually very sweet and understanding, patient enough to rival a damn saint, and it made Tim realize just how lucky he was every time he saw Kon's face. Kon wasn't a virgin; he'd had a way with the ladies, of course, but Tim was his first _male_ partner. Tim wasn't completely innocent, either, given his short, three-week, fellatio fueled fling with a boy named Colin the year before. They were still friends, waving at each other in the halls between classes, but otherwise had agreed that they weren't each other's type. Still, technically (aside from his own fingers from private occasions), Tim  _was_ a virgin. And much as he wanted Kon right now ( _god_ did he), he still felt himself shy back inside; their first time had to be special... _perfect_. And maybe not after thinking and talking about  _Jason_ all day. 

Tim shivered and had to push that thought...the thought of  _Jason_ out of his brain, because it just made his already buzzing body start to burn. That was definitely not who he should be thinking about right now. He blocked out the Junior's face, instead choosing to focus on the gentle, searching smile of his boyfriend above him.

"Not yet," Tim whispered, voice husky and hurried with Kon pressed against him. "Let's just-..." he trailed off, swallowing thickly. Kon gleamed down at him with an empathetic nod and kissed his cheek.

"The usual? Will that work?" his voice was gruff against Tim's skin, juxtaposed in comparison to the softness of his lips. Tim's eyes fluttered shut with a soft inhale of breath as he felt Kon rub against him down below with the delicious promise of more.

"Yeah," Tim agreed breathily, pawing at Kon's shirt. 'The usual' generally meant Kon's hand, jerking them together in unison, or on other occasions, his  _mouth_ , and they would take turns devouring each other, getting the other off.

"Alright, babe. I can't wait until you _are_ ready, though," Kon admitted breathlessly, mouthing at the sensitive flesh of Tim's neck. "Get you all hot and bothered, then show you how much I've wanted you." Tim gasped, keening forward and bunching the black t-shirt in his hands until he could slide a hand underneath its hem where Kon's skin was flush with warmth. Kon groaned and pressed his hands down to Tim's fly to massage him.

"I love you," came Tim's breathy chant as Kon fidgeted at the hem until the clasp of his pants eventually flew open. Kon paused, lifting his head up from Tim's neck with darkened pupils staring down at him.

"I love you, too," he murmured back before nipping back to Tim's body and slowly working his way down.

..........................

A half hour later, Tim was sliding his pants back on and clasping them up languidly as Kon smoothed his shirt back over his torso. They snuck flushed grins at each other and tried not to look too windblown when they descended the stairs afterward. Mrs. Mac eyed them with suspicious humor as they appeared, however, and Tim worked very hard at a straight face as she bustled around the kitchen.

"Hello, boys," she greeted with a gentle nod, stirring something in a pot that wafted deliciously. They called back to her politely, of course, and she smiled, but quickly knitted her brows when Kon pulled his keys out of his pocket.

"You're not staying for dinner, Mr. Kent?" she questioned with concern. "I'm making Fettuccine." Tim offered a brow up at Kon, but he shook his head, declining politely.

"You don't have to call me that, Mrs. Mac, it's just Kon," he insisted with a humble smile. Tim's lips twitched, and he could practically  _feel_ Mrs. Mac's uncertainty over the informality of it.

"And no, I can't. I appreciate it, though, and it smells awfully good," Kon reassured with an almost wistful sigh. "But my dad's expecting me home soon, so I gotta run."

"Alright, dearie, drive safe," she conceded, nodding at him over her pot. Kon leaned down to peck a chaste kiss against Tim's cheek and whisper a quick  _I love you_ into his ear one last time before collecting his bag from the hall and waving as he left.

"He's a good boy," Mrs. Mac bubbled with approval as Tim turned back towards the kitchen.

"Yeah, I think so too," Tim breezed, pulling at the stool in front of the island and plopping down to watch her work.

"I meant to tell you, your parents called earlier," she chimed, glancing up from the stove. Tim blinked, letting his smile slip slowly off his face. "I didn't wanna disturb you while you were with your beau, though, so I told them you'd call back." The mild surprise morphed slowly into a sunken expression as she turned the boiling heat down to a simmer. 

"Don't look like that, now," Mrs. Mac drilled him sternly, and Tim shrugged apologetically. "Go give them a call, and dinner will be about done when you get back."

"Okay, fine," Tim agreed reluctantly, leaping back off the stool and trudging to the french doors that led to his back patio. He fished his cellphone out of his pocket and dialed his mother's number quickly, listening as it rang four times in a row.

"Hello, dear! I'm _delighted_ you got back to us so quickly," his mother, Janet's voice sang out cheerily. He could hear chattering and orchestral music in the background, and if he strained, he could hear the clinking of ice in the champagne glass that was undoubtedly in her gloved hand.

"Hey, mom," he greeted, shifting his weight to one leg awkwardly. "How's the Mediterranean?"

" _Oh_ , it's lovely," she replied dreamily, as a bought of laughter erupted somewhere faintly from her party. "The water's blue, the food is delicious, and the people are _devine_! Your father's team had a breakthrough on the project, and we've decided to extend!" she was obviously excited, but Tim's shoulders sank down. It wasn't a surprise.

"Congratulations," he forced a smile to his face, thankful both that she couldn't see him, and that his voice was trained enough not to let any of the disappointment bleed through. "How long will you be extending the project for?"

"At least until the beginning of next month, so that means we'll unfortunately have to miss Thanksgiving, but we'll definitely try to make Christmas. I'll call you every week, as often as I can, darling," she promised. Tim thinned his lips with disappointment, but blanked it out insistently. He knew that 'every week' really meant once or twice a month.

"Okay, good," Tim responded with curt, but (forced) reassuring elation.

"How's the SAT preparation coming? Still studying, I hope," she implored after a silent moment, and Tim rolled his eyes to the sky. "You won't get into Dartmouth or Yale without studying, you know."

"I know, Mom," he replied perhaps a bit too dryly. He made sure to correct his tone before expounding. "I'm taking the PSAT next semester. I'm actually doing so well right now, I've been asked to _tutor_ other students."

" _Wonderful_ , darling," came her delighted reply. "That's my smart boy." Tim clenched his teeth stonily and swallowed back the bitterness he felt from her sentiment.  _Her boy_ hadn't seen  _her_ in almost two months, so it was kind of lost on him.

"Thanks."

"Anything else going on in your life? Any love interests, or hobbies...anything? How's Stephanie?" she was actually trying for conversation at this point, and Tim fought back a tired sigh. He'd told her about Kon at least twice, and he would almost bet that she had just completely ignored his whole bit about the whole tutoring,  _so_.

"Steph's good; same old, same old." He could hear Janet chuckle before trailing into an awkward stretch of silence, letting noises of the party drift over the line for some time before he heard a buzzing, tenor voice -his father- murmuring something off to her side.

"Oh, again?" Janet giggled with girlish excitement. "Surely they can handle it without us- no? Oh, alright," it may have been a trick on Tim's ears, but he could swear she sounded almost relieved. Tim shifted anxiously with hope as the conversation threatened to end, glancing back toward the kitchen where Mrs. Mac was dishing out the finished pasta onto two plates.

"Tim, dear, I'm afraid the committee needs us. Your father says hello and sends his love," she crooned, and Tim's fingers fidgeted with his belt loops idly.

"Alright. Go have fun, and tell Dad I said hey," he returned quickly. "Bye, Mom."

"Goodbye, darling."

The line went dead, and Tim threw his head back and sucked in the first deep breath he'd taken since the whole phone call began. He could see the tendrils of his breath spiraling into the night sky, and realized just how cold his hands were getting. He pocketed his phone and rubbed them together frivolously as he clamored back inside, grateful for the warmth and smell of food enveloping him.

"How'd it go, sweetie?" Mrs. Mac questioned, pouring him a glass of milk and setting it by his already waiting plate.

"Fine," Tim shrugged blandly, before arching his brow at the milk. "You know I'm not six anymore, right?" he chuckled, sliding back into his seat at the island.

"Maybe not, but milk still goes well with any pasta until you're old enough for wine," she replied with a saucy wink. Tim smirked appreciatively, and privately wondered how big a stroke she'd have if she found out about him knocking back a keg of beer on Friday.

"How long are they extending their trip this time?" Tim stopped mid-chew on his very first bite as Mrs. Mac persisted on.

"Erm..." he swallowed, huffing a sigh. She didn't even have to guess at what the call was about, then. "Until sometime next month." Mrs. Mac frowned in clear disapproval at the news.

"If I might speak frankly, Mr. Drake, I'm getting tired of seeing you lonely on the holidays," she shook her head with a heavyset sadness in her eyes that made Tim wince.

"I'm not," Tim lied in denial, shoveling another bite and chewing roughly. "I've got you, and Steph, and Kon," he listed stubbornly as she tilted her head. "I've got another friend, now, too," he insisted, setting his fork down and sipping milk to avoid Mrs. Mac's quirky stare. "If Mom and Dad wanna spend Christmas in Greece, that's okay. I wouldn't know what to do if they were here anyway."

"Oh, honey," her expression saddened, and Tim bristled with discomfort as she shook her head.

"It's  _fine_ ," Tim urged sharply, and she fell silent. Tim immediately felt guilty at the reprimand, and he slumped down apologetically. "I'm sorry... you're right. It sucks, but it's nothing new. I'll be okay," he tried again, softly now as he stared at his noodles.

"It's alright, hon," she waved it off. "Tell me about this new friend of yours," she offered, changing the subject with a more lighthearted smile. Tim immediately brightened.

"Jason? Oh, you'd like him," he grinned, picking his fork back up. "He's in my Lit class, and we tutor together. He's sharp, and funny and he'll sweet talk you so well that you won't realize the Shakespeare he quoted was actually an insult."

"Sounds like he keeps you on your toes," Mrs. Mac sniffed in amusement.

"You have no idea. He threw my keys in the pool at school," Tim smirked at the memory. Oh, how Jason had snickered at him when he had to strip down to his underwear just to jump in and retrieve them. Tim had never blushed so hard in his _life_.

"He did  _what_?" Mrs. Mac dropped her jaw in shock, and Tim grinned.

"To be fair, it was deserved, I promise," he assured her. She blanched in confusion, opening and closing her jaw before chuckling in exasperation.

"I don't want to know, do I?"

"Probably not," Tim snorted, thinking again of the heart attack she'd suffer if he mentioned the copious amounts of alcohol he'd consumed, or the car situation.

"Is he easy on the eyes?" she teased, and Tim's eyes widened scandalously.

"Mrs. _Mac_ ," he blushed, laughing through the scold and hiding his grin behind his milk glass. She held her hands up innocently, and Tim shook his head.

"Yeah, he is," Tim admitted, feeling father warm on the surface all of a sudden. "He's got these _eyes_ that.... heh. But, hey, that's _just_ between us, okay?"

"My lips are sealed," she promised, zipping her lips and throwing away the imaginary key. Tim snorted at her and laughed as they continued their dinner.


	9. Good Vibes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jason has a good day. A relatively short chapter, but a fluffy one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay guys, plot next chapter, I promise! And by plot, I mean the DATE is happening and we get our first real Jaytim moments (it's gonna be a loooong chapter, and things are gonna start snowballing, so be prepared). I more than owed Jason some attention first, though, and can't we all agree he deserved one really good day?

"Thanks again for coming out tonight, guys. Have a good one," Jason waved as his last table for the night, a lovely elderly couple and their 10 year old grandson, donned their coats. The old woman's eyes twinkled from under her round specs, and she waved back one last time in turn before heading out into the cold night behind her husband. Jason wasted no time in grabbing a bus bucket and clearing away the mess of dishes, grinning in elation when he noticed a ten dollar bill poking out from under the ketchup bottle. That was almost 30% of their total bill; they must have liked him. Finding tips was (almost) always a gratifying experience, Jason had discovered. They weren't always this good, either, but it was the best perk of the job. A close second would be the free meal he was allowed per shift; one that was currently calling his name from the back room where it was stowed away in a take-out box, so he made quick work of finishing up and wiping it off.

"Finally done?" Crista grinned at him as he whisked into the kitchen, dropping the bus tray into the sink for the kitchen staff. Crista looked the same as ever, leaning against the metal employee table, framed in the same black uniform that Jason now wore, brown hair tied back into a plait that framed her flirty (as ever) smile. She was still waiting her last table, a family of five over by the window, but she had just dropped off their dessert so it wouldn't be long for her.

"Yeah. They left me a tenner," Jason returned her smile brightly. "It's been a good night. I'm about to go cash in with Rhonda and then tally up."

"Good for you, kiddo," Crista whistled teasingly as he stalked towards the manager's office (a small, closet sized room on the other side of the kitchen, but it was Ms. Rhonda's haven). "Isn't this like, your fourth shift ever? You've learned  _fast_ , color me impressed."

"Better watch out Cris, I'll catch up to _you_ before you know it," Jason winked at her before disappearing into the manager's office as she rolled her eyes.

Rhonda was a stern, but placating, likable woman of about 50 or so; she had tightly cropped, curly dark hair with sharp eyes to match that didn't tolerate nonsense or fools. She wasn't afraid of keeping her employees in line, or of addressing entitled customers who throw their hissy fits, but she was also the type of person to cut up with her staff and enjoyed working with the team. Rhonda was the one who interviewed and hired Jason, and he found that he respected her very much. She wasn't overly chatty tonight, as closing paperwork was keeping her busy, but she was warm and amicable when Jason turned in his final count.

"Great job today, honey," she patted his arm with a tired smile as she zeroed his numbers out. Jason beamed. "You know, if you wanted, I've got an extra shift open tomorrow night if you want some more hours. Tips are always good on Fridays," she offered with the slightest arch of her brow. Jason twitched, almost immediately tempted to take the offer before he pouted his lips and shook his head apologetically.

"I can't tomorrow, I've got plans," he explained, and Rhonda nodded at him, bemused.

"They wouldn't happen to be the same plans as Crista's? Movie night in Bludhaven?" she chuckled, re-adjusting her reading glasses from atop her head to rest back on her face. That last part took him admittedly by surprise. Not the fact that Crista told their boss that they were planning on hanging out (most everyone felt comfortable enough around Rhonda, anyway), but the part about Bludhaven. She hadn't mentioned  _that_ little detail yet.

"The very same, I'm afraid," Jason confirmed. "Any other day, though, and I've got you covered," he volunteered cheerily enough, and that earned him a rare, fond smile.

"I'll keep that in mind, sweetie, thank you. Don't worry about it for now, though. Go count your tips and have fun," she gestured gently with her head towards the kitchen, and Jason wished her a quick, grateful farewell. Crista was no longer lounging at the employee table, and Jason had a feeling she was over with her family of 5 trying to nudge them out the door. He smirked at the thought as he dumped the remaining contents of his apron out and sorted through them quickly. By the time Crista had returned and zeroed out her own tab with Rhonda, joining Jason at the table to count her own tips, Jason had just about finished up. It was an impressive haul for a Thursday, as well as the most fruitful amount of tips he'd received at the job to date so far. Not that four days gave him much to compare to, but still. With what he made today, that totals to over two hundred dollars this week; he hadn't even gotten his first  _paycheck_ yet. It made his head feel light enough to float away, and he couldn't help the grin that erupted on his face as he stowed it all into his pockets.

"Someone looks happy," Crista remarked amicably as she spilled her own goods onto the table. "I bet you're gonna spoil that boyfriend of yours tomorrow, huh?" she flasher her teeth at him in a teasing smirk. Jason arched a seemingly unimpressed brow, but truthfully that word, and the thought of Tim's face behind it, made his heart stutter invisibly in his chest.

"Cris, I  _told_ you, he and I aren't actually-" Jason tried, but Crista snorted her amusement at him before he could even start.

"Yeah, yeah, so you keep sayin'," she hummed, sifting through her stacks of quarters absently. "Honestly though, the way you two were flirting last week? _Too_ cute. I'll never look at chocolate covered strawberries the same," her eyes were glittering with humor as Jason rolled his own at her.

"Thanks for your understanding," Jason shook his head exasperatedly. "Just don't try to make a thing out if it tomorrow, okay? He's got a boyfriend already, and I don't want you embarrassing him. ...Or _me_ ," he added quickly as an afterthought.

"Okay, fine, scout's honor," she saluted lazily at him as she sifted through her stack of bills, counting silently under her breath. "Speaking of tomorrow though, I've got the address for the theater. I'd offer to drive you two there myself, but I'm heading out for the weekend to Bludhaven _tonight_ , so-"

"I wanted to ask you about that, actually," Jason cut her off, crossing his arms and smirking down as he pressed his weight against the table. She grinned sheepishly at Jason's expression and offered a shrug. " _Bludhaven_? That's kind of a long drive for a movie date, don't you think?"

"Oh, it's not even an hour away," she waved dismissively, but a blush creeping up her cheeks gave her away. "Lauren doesn't have a car and getting to Gotham would be hard for her. Come on, it's not that far, anyway." It was probably supposed to less pleading than it did, but the hope was obvious on her face as Jason contemplated.

"You know its supposed to start snowing tonight and tomorrow," he voiced carefully, more serious now as Crista's face fell. "The roads could be dangerous, especially outside the city. You really wanna risk driving all the way to Bludhaven?"

"Don't  _worry_ , Jay," she crooned up at him soothingly. "The first snowfall's never that bad, I'm sure the roads will be fine if you drive careful." Jason's lips twitched into an uncomfortable grimace;  _he_ wouldn't be the one driving, not after 1. getting Tim's radio ripped out the last time, and 2. making Tim take a little dip in the pool and pissing him the hell  _off_. Oh, what a _sight_ that had been, seeing Tim strip with that little growl on his face, soaking wet and pouting all the way to Jason's apartment. Yeah, Tim wouldn't be letting him get anywhere  _near_ the driver's seat after that. The thought almost made him twitch into a smile, but he resisted.

"I'll have to make sure its okay with Tim. He's the one with the car, he calls the shots," Jason relented, lifting his hands off his arms in a gesture of surrender. Crista brightened up excitedly and beamed. They fell silent for the duration of her count, and Jason chose to use that time to collect his meal from the fridge, preparing to leave for home.

"You're not planning on walking tonight, are you?" Crista called out, rolling the last of her cash into rubber band bound logs and sliding them into the depths of her purse. Jason glanced up from his to-go box and shrugged.

"Not if the buses are still running?" he arched a questioning brow as she shouldered her bag and frowned at him.

"I can give you a ride if you let me bum a smoke," she offered. And yeah, even though he had less than half a pack left, it did sound a hell of a lot better than hiking it to the bus station and freezing his ass off. Especially since his best jacket was still with a blue eyed sophomore somewhere.

"You sure?"

"Yeah, like I said, I'm on my way out of town, and your place ain't too far from the bridge," she reasoned, and thank god. Jason was already pulling out his pack the moment the two of them slid out the back door.

.............

Jason waved Crista's old Ford Ranger goodbye as she dropped him off, and he could see his breath clouding up in front of him as he climbed the stairs. He suppressed a shudder against the cold, unlocking his apartment hastily and releasing a heavy sigh of relief the moment he got the door closed behind him into his warm, quiet hallway. No acid smell today, Jason noticed, and he felt his body relax against the wood door in further relief.

"Jason? That you, baby?" his mother called from the depths. Her voice was strong today, and he could hear water running, which told him she was probably in the kitchen.

" _Yeah_ ," he affirmed, dropping his backpack off and carrying the diner food into the kitchen where she was filling up a glass of water. She'd also showered, he noticed, glimpsing at her wet hair dripping into a clean t-shirt.  _Good_. She'd been doing better since last week, and hadn't missed another day of work. Today was a rare day off for her, and it looks like she handled it fairly well. "Got you some dinner," he offered, extending his arm out and jostling the box tentatively. She eyed the white Styrofoam mildly in surprise before her face stretched into a thin, but genuine smile.

"Thanks, baby," she cooed sweetly, cupping her small, cold hand against his cheek. "My hard working boy. I'm so proud of you," she added, blue eyes emotional as she squeezed his cheek. He huffed softly at her, but couldn't hide a small smile as she opened the box and took an appreciative whiff of the grilled chicken.

"Did you make this?" she questioned lightly, heading over to sit on the couch for her meal. Jason made sure to carry her almost-forgotten glass of water behind her.

"No, mom. I'm a waiter; I just _serve_ the food," he chuckled gently, and she nodded a small  _oh_. "I can promise it's good, though. Better than the cheap shit they serve you at the club."

"That's for sure. You don't see a good Alfredo in a place made for greasy wings and pole dances," she snorted, and Jason smiled so hard, his eyes crinkled. It's been a while since she's cracked a joke like that.

"Can you imagine if they did? Poor girls would probably get noodles in their g-strings instead of dough," Jason laughed, and his mom giggled, biting appreciatively into her food. Seeing her laugh and eat, face flush with color instead of pale and translucent...it all made him feel so relieved, so  _grateful_...it was a buzzing kind of feeling right in the center of his chest. And this was after raking in a good night's tips, acing a test at school earlier and then with the thoughts _tomorrow_  lingering in the air like a promise? With  _Tim_ , and that little smirk he'd been wearing since Monday's trip to the pool; the kid was planning on getting him back, Jason could  _feel_ it (Jason's felt his laser eyes on his back more than once the last couple of days), and  _god_ , the anticipation of the game -an entirely too exciting, heart racing, game of who can ruffle whose feathers more- was intoxicating. All things considered, this is probably the best day he'd had in a very long time, and what's more? The idea of _tomorrow_ had just as much potential.

"I love you, mom," Jason pressed an affectionate kiss to the side of her thin cheek. Her eyes widened, shocked but obviously touched as she ghosted her fingers over the spot.

"I love you too, baby," she hummed happily, crinkling her eyes in a soft smile as Jason stood to his feet. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Jason laughed out softly. "More than. I've gotta hit the shower though; my bed's callin' my name, and I've got school in the morning," he reminded her through a grin. It was almost midnight, after all. She nodded with another  _oh_ , and waved him off fondly.

"Go on then, get to it," she ordered playfully. Jason gleamed with delight at her old, rare humor.

"Alright, yes _ma'am_ ," Jason saluted giddily with two fingers. Oh yeah; it'd been a damn good day.


	10. Getting to Know You, Getting to Know All About YouYou

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's a (Not So) Platonic Date, Part 1.
> 
> **revised 10/31

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy double update, Batman! It's chapter 10 and 11 after a writer's block induced hiatus!
> 
> Aka, I'm proud to treat you guys to two fully completed chapters and I really hope you enjoy <3

"Wait... _Bludhaven_?" his voice sounded oddly alien to his own ears as Jason broke into an apologetic smirk. Friday had finally come around, and after hours of lip biting, butterflies-in-the-stomach kind of anxiety just picturing what kind of night together he and the older boy might have (okay, even if it  _was_ with two other people), Jason had caught up with him in the student parking lot after the last bell and decided to just to drop this bomb  _now?_  Tim, who'd been walking across the lanes toward the cars, missed a half-step and stumbled in surprise right as some asshole driving in an Audi screeched to a halt honked at the two of them for being in the way. 

Jason, bless him, had caught Tim with a startled gasp and a reflexive, steadying hand on Tim's shoulder. Tim's cheeks heated up with embarrassment at his own clumsiness as he righted himself while Jason, on the other hand, was snarling distastefully at the Audi driver prick honking at them again impatiently. 

"Sorry!" Tim squeaked, reacting quickly as Jason's hand -the one that _wasn't_ still pressing against Tim's shoulder- twisted up into a nasty gesture. Before the driver, or Jason for that matter, could get  _too_ angry, Tim grabbed Jason's hand and managed with some effort to tug the older boy away. The car screeched around them indignantly, and Jason huffed at Tim's side.

"Fucking asshole," the teen muttered, and a chuckle bubbled to Tim's lips.

"Sorry, Jay. That was my fault," Tim winced bashfully. Jason rolled his eyes promptly and looked down at Tim with the start of some kind of defensive retort, but paused when he noticed Tim's fingers still wrapped idly around his wrist. Tim's breath caught in a panic before immediately releasing Jason's wrist with a poorly hidden flush.

"Er... so Bludhaven-" Tim cleared his throat as Jason's expression twitched imperceptibly. Tim wondered what that was about for a second, but Jason took his cue and moved on.

"Yeah. Sorry, Crista just told me last night that her girlfriend couldn't make it to Gotham, so she's pulling in a favor," Jason explained quickly, shoving his newly freed hand into his pocket. "If...that's still alright?" Teal eyes crinkled into a worried frown as an afterthought, and Tim's throat went dry. He forced himself to swallow, ignoring his quickening pulse and gazing up to the ominous, gray sky rather than at Jason's hopeful expression.

"It's... supposed to snow tonight," Tim bit his lip incredulously. Jason grunted in response, readying to resign himself, it seemed, and Tim's brain screamed at him.  _No, no, **idiot** , don't not ruin this! **Look** at him, after _ _waiting for this all week, don't blow him off now!_  

Funny, Tim thought, how his own inner monologue sounded eerily like Stephanie.

"Have you ever driven in snow before?" Jason voiced the obvious question uncertainly. Tim chewed his own lip instead of answering, and fingered the keys resting in his pocket in consideration. The short answer (and Jason seemed to realize this at Tim's blatant hesitation) was  _no_. He'd only had his license for a couple of months, and snow season was just starting.  _But then again_ , Stephanie's voice magically reasoned again,  _might as well go out and get used to it_. Gotham winters were  _famously_ snowy, and he didn't take all those safety courses for nothing.

"I'll be fine," Tim gestured dismissively in the end. Jason quirked an unconvinced brow, but couldn't quite hide a playful smirk.

" _Right_..." he let the word roll slowly over his tongue as Tim decidedly retrieved his keys. "Loving the confidence and all, but I swear to god, if you get us killed over a patch of ice-"

"-Oh,  _zip_ it, Scotty. Have a little faith, will you?" Tim stuck his tongue out, humor renewed as Red Bird chirped cheerily from her spot a few yards down. Jason rolled his eyes and followed as Tim led the way to it.

"You're right. If I die, it's because you're  _actively_ trying to kill me, who am I kidding?" Jason snickered, and Tim snorted ferally in amusement.

"You got that right, Todd. You have it coming, after all," Tim turned back just enough throw a devious wink at Jason.

"I  _knew_ it! You're totally plotting revenge," Jason accused, wide eyed and pointing an accusatory finger. Tim smirked and waggled his eyebrows; of  _course_ he was going to get Jason back. Nobody makes a fool of Tim Drake and gets away with it, not even the daunting, ridiculously alluring Jason Todd. "Oh god, you probably sabotaged the seat belt or something," Jason gasped additionally in fake horror. Tim's smirk broke, and he choked.

"Nah, poor Red's been through enough already. Plus, you still owe me dinner and a movie tonight, so I need you alive for that," Tim retorted cheekily, leaning against the hood of the car. To Tim's surprise, there was a pink flush spreading across the older teen's cheeks. Jason Todd...  _blushed_? It was unexpectedly attractive, and butterflies by the dozens started fluttering unbidden in his stomach.

Oh god, he was going to be _alone_ with this guy soon.

"Sounds like the knife's to my throat, then," Jason snarked, raising his hands in mock surrender. "Guess I'll just have to do my best to drag it out," he winked, and  _woah_ , if those words didn't suddenly make his skin heat up.

"I-"

"You bitches busy talking about the movie you  _didn't invite me to_?" Stephanie (the real one this time) interrupted, causing Tim to nearly jump out of his skin. How he didn't see the his best friend coming was beyond him, but then again she had probably snuck up on purpose, because there she was with a deviant little grin on her otherwise angelic face, standing there with her bookbag strewn over one shoulder to complement her taunt.

"Yep," Jason chirped instantly, recovering from the surprise of her sudden appearance far quicker than Tim had. If he'd even been startled at all. He was really adjusting to Stephanie quite well. "I live for making you jealous, it's my new hobby," he teased. She snorted playfully at him and elbowed him none too gently passing him by to the passenger seat.

" _Please_. I've got a  _real_ date tonight in a hot bubble bath with Joey, Chandler, Rachel and Monica. So you two can take your fancy movie tickets and-"

"Be  _nice_ , Stephanie," Tim interjected with a snort, sliding into the car with the other two quickly following suit. "Also, you left out Phoebe and Ross, you monster."

"Fuck Ross," Stephanie hummed as she buckled her belt. "But you're totally right about Pheebs, whoops." 

"Why are you bullying us into giving you a ride home if you've got all those fancy people to hang out with instead?" Jason piped up in confusion from the back seat. Tim and Stephanie froze at the question, exchanging puzzled glances before Stephanie's brown eyes went wide, jaw falling slack. Tim's own expression, he was sure, mirrored hers exactly.

"He hasn't seen Friends?" she whispered in excitement, and the two of them veered around to stare at the elder teen in tandem. Jason blinked uncertainly, furrowing his brows at them worriedly now as they grinned.

"Oh my god, this is the best day of my life," the blonde clapped her hands ecstatically, and Jason's eyes grew ever larger with concern. Tim laughed at his expression and finally offered an explanation.

"It's one of our favorite shows. Ten glorious seasons of cringe-worthy 90s humor and the best theme song in _existence_ ," Tim smiled. Jason nodded his head once with an enlightened, maybe slightly underwhelmed  _oh_ as Tim turned back around and ignited the engine.

"Oh my god, can we please watch an episode before you guys go?" Stephanie squealed, eyes rapid firing between the two boys energetically. And honestly, Tim was sorely tempted; the three of them cuddled up together at the end of Stephanie's bed, clapping along to the theme song and watching Jason's reaction to Rachel Greene's introduction in a wedding dress. Jason would probably snort at the outdated wit of the show and make some snarky comments about the lack of realism, and Tim would elbow him with playful indignance. Jason would smirk down at him, of course, all challenging and alluring-

No. Nope, don't follow _that_ thought, he scolded himself, dutifully ignoring the stutter in his pulse.

"Can't this time, Steph. The movie's in Bludhaven, so we don't really have the time," he shook his head. It was a true enough excuse. Stephanie frowned, jutting her lip out crossly in a pout as Tim shifted gears.

" _Bludhaven_? Who's idea was  _that_?" She exclaimed sourly, echoing Tim's earlier sentiment. Tim rolled his eyes as Jason was forced to explain again, and Stephanie grumbled until Jason appeased her and promised to marathon the sitcom with them both on his next day off. His best friend vehemently agreed, and a flood of guilty excitement coursed through Tim's veins. God, he wasn't going to stand a chance, was he?

Her house was only a short, five minute drive from the school, so once the matter was settled, she bid them a fond adieu, waving "Bye Bitches!" as she retreated inside her suburban home. Tim blew her a quick, smug kiss and lovingly extended a jeering middle finger. Jason took not only the high road, but also the brief opportunity to move to the now vacant front seat while Tim was still parked in the driveway.

"That girl's a piece of _work_ ," Jason whistled in unmistakable awe, buckling his seat belt once he was settled in. A strange pang constricted his heart for a moment at Jason's tone, and he curiously cocked his head.

"Yeah, she's the best," Tim agreed in earnest. She  _was;_  Stephanie was his best friend in the world for a  _reason_. But did Jason maybe see something... _else_ in her? Despite his better judgement, despite his every instinct in common sense, insecurity wouldn't stop gnawing inside his ribs. So...logically, he painted a gleaming smirk on his face and decided to test the waters. "She's single, you know. You two would make a cute couple."

Jason, who'd been innocently admiring the architecture of Steph's house, blanched as he turned toward Tim in surprise. It obviously hadn't been a thought that had occurred to the boy before, Tim realized, and he nearly cursed himself into oblivion when Jason quirked an interested brow.

"You think so?" Jason chuckled, glancing back toward the ornate front door of the blonde's home. _God damn it all_ , what had he just done? Tim's face tightened into a careful smile and shrugged. Jason hummed at that, biting absently at his lower lip in thought, all while Tim's digestive coils ripped themselves to shreds.

Finally, Jason smirked again and added, "Eh, she is pretty cute, but I've never really had a thing for blondes. Plus, she'd probably stuff my balls in her purse." Tim's brows shot up quickly before wheezing into sudden, relieved laughter.

"Y-...You're not wrong, she'd whip your ass," Tim chuckled weakly as his heart rate climbed slowly back down. He glanced down at his steering wheel for a distraction before suddenly remembering what they were doing there in the first place. He quickly shifted the car into reverse, then, and started backing out.

"Hey, she may be queen dominatrix, but my perky ass holds its own just fine, thank you," Jason fired back, grinning wickedly and winking. Tim may have braked a tad bit sharper than he meant to at the edge of the driveway, causing the car to squeak in protest as it jerked forward. Jason and Tim both lurched with the inertia in their seats, and Jason burst into laughter the second he caught a glimpse of Tim's beat red face.

"Didn't mean to traumatize you, jeez," Jason wheezed, and Tim groaned with exasperation, trying to look anywhere but at the other boy.

"You didn't- it just startled me, I wasn't expecting the sudden _imagery_ ," Tim defended himself, and god damn it why was his voice that  _pitchy_? He could still feel his cheeks burn as his grip on the steering wheel tightened. The car groaned noisily again as Tim dared to pull out (no pun intended, he swears), but it didn't help him ignore the sudden interested tilt of Jason's chin.

"Imagery, huh?" Jason's teal eyes glinted with mischievous curiosity, and Tim squirmed in his seat. Yeah. Imagery. Like what the curve of Jason's soft, very naked ass might look like if he was bent over, arching up and flushed so pretty; what it would feel like under his _fingers_ \- oh, and don't even get him started on the whole kinky bit with the leather after the whole dominatrix comment. It felt so dirty to imagine, so _wrong_ in all the sexiest, _forbidden_ ways. Tim's blood flushed with guilt, and he couldn't help but feel red handed. If there was any mercy in the universe, then Jason Todd would just let it go.

"You're a perv after all. And here I was thinking you were an innocent, vanilla cupcake," Jason tsked in amusement. Tim gaped at his passenger for a moment, mostly waiting for the other shoe to drop; for Jason to force the dirty fantasy out of him and boil him alive in his own shame, but nothing came. Finally, he snorted, chest easing in relief and amusement. Then, he actually processed what Jason had said.

"Innocent,  vanilla-" Tim repeated in disbelief, "Guess you don't know me very well, then," Tim shot back playfully as courage returned and blood cooled back to a more normal temperature.

"Touche," Jason conceded, nodding with a sudden, pensive smirk. Tim cocked a suspicious, sidelong glance at the boy's expression, and Jason relaxed against the seat, shrugging  far too innocently.

"What's that look for?" Tim questioned curiously as the car paused in front of a stop sign.

"You're right, we _don't_ know each other very well, do we?" Jason mused, expression twitching around his lips but otherwise unreadable. Tim's interest piqued, and he turned his head completely toward Jason before the car behind them honked impatiently. Tim jumped and waved through the back window apologetically before driving forward.

"We've only known each other for two weeks, to be fair," Tim reminded idly as he made a turn for Gotham bridge. A roller coaster fortnight, for sure, but hey, Tim wasn't complaining. Not when Jay was staring at him with that lively little gleam in his eye, sprawled comfortably and riding next to him, and not to mention  _alone_ together for the next 45 minutes.

"You feel up to a little game?" Jason inquired, feigning that innocence again, but with an unmistakable dare tinting his otherwise playful countenance. Tim's heart skipped a beat, wondering what on earth the junior could have in store now.

" _Ooh_ , a game?" Tim snorted, rolling his eyes. A getting-to-know-you game meant either Never Have I Ever or 20 questions, both of which were painfully cliche, but... then again, he'd never played with  _Jason_ before. 

"Oh, stow the cynacism, that's  _my_ thing," Jason elbowed Tim's arm with a chuckle, and Tim giggled. Every time. Jason called him out every. damn. time. "We take turns asking each other whatever we can possibly think of, no matter how personal, unconventional or raunchy. You're allowed to pass on the question if it makes you uncomfortable,  _but_ -" and this is where Jason's voice trailed off with a devious little grin.

 "What?" Tim frowned with a sneaking suspicion of dread.

"If you pass, you pay a little penalty. Usually, the price is an article of clothing, but-" Tim's breath hitched as Jason's voice dropped to a taunting purr, "-since it's difficult to strip while driving and I wanna live to see another day, let's say for each pass you just give me an hour of driving time with Red Bird."

"You're incorrigible," Tim scolded, barely managing to suppress a shiver that had nothing to do with the weather. "Fine, I'm game. But you should know two things," Tim warned with a much more confident grin. Jason quirked a brow, eyes gleaming with dark humor that would make Tim stutter if he weren't so dead set to beat him at his little game.

"Shoot," Jay jerked his chin, urging Tim to continue.

"First of all, when you wimp out, you have to throw out a cigarette for every question you don't answer." Jason scoffed, dismayed at that and Tim gleamed triumphantly. Tim almost thought that Jason might protest after a particularly pained looking twitch of his eyebrow, but as always, Jason was never one to back down.

"Fine, we're playin' big leagues, I see. I'll remember that. Second?" Jason's voice was defiant as he crossed toned arms firmly over his chest. Oh, Tim was in trouble if Jason was gonna play rough. But he couldn't just back down  _now_ , he cursed himself over his own once-again thundering heartbeat.

"Second," Tim continued, refusing to relent, even for a second. "I've played drinking games like this before. You should probably know...I've  _never_ lost," he winked, and Jason's eyes popped wide, both impressed and entertained at the notion.

"Well, then, may the best ruggedly handsome asshole win."

.................

Okay, so Jason may have gotten in over his head when he suggested this little game. Tim's been blushing and getting embarrassed and shit a  _lot_ , and Jason would be lying if he said that between that and the little ritual of banter and pranks, that it didn't entice him even a little bit. The signals were always subtle and mixed enough for reasonable doubt, but, thinking back, sometimes Jason could  _swear_ Tim was flirting with him. Or at  _least_ attracted to him. That may be conceit talking, but the way Tim always lingered just close enough not to touch when they walked the halls together, or had taken to sitting right beside him in their shared 3rd period class... and then there was catching the flash of Tim's eyes on him during tutoring, the lingering touch of Tim's hand against his during the parking lot incident earlier, and now he'd made Tim sputter with a mild sex joke. He knew for a fact that Tim and Steph got  _way_ raunchier with their humor on a daily basis, so what made Tim flush so pretty like that while they were still in Blondie's driveway? 

Yeah, so provoking Tim into the world's most obvious game of pining, sexual interest was either the bravest, or single most  _stupid_ thing he'd ever done. He was being awfully ballsy, considering that Tim's big, beefy boyfriend would come running to beat his ass if he asked the wrong question or made one wrong move. (Not that Jason would run from a brawl with the entitled football star, he wasn't a bitch; still, it was probably better to avoid a fight if he could. He didn't want to risk his scholarship, after all.) But Tim, cheeky, subtle, alluring little Tim, and his soft blush and defiant attitude was enough to ensnare Jason's interest anyway, so here they were. He had to know.

"What exactly  _is_ your sexuality?" Tim asked the first question. Definitely not a subtle start, Jason remarked with private appreciation towards Tim's firmly squared jaw. But then, he did intentionally ruffle the boy's feathers with that earlier threat, so it shouldn't have been a surprise that Tim would start off bold. When Jason didn't answer right away (he was surprised, okay?), there was that flush of pink across Tim's pale cheeks again as he stared intently at the road. "You've been pretty aloof about it, okay? You're hard to read," he offered quickly in a nervous explanation that Jason didn't ask for. It did made him smirk proudly in amusement, though.

"Bisexual," Jason answered easily enough, resting his elbow on the window and perching his cheek against his knuckles. He never took his eyes off Tim though, and the boy simply nodded quietly, careful poker face giving nothing else away. Damn. "Since we're on the subject of sexualities, how long have you been out of the closet?" 

"Officially, I came out to the public about four months ago with Kon. But most people told me they'd already thought I was gay, anyway," Tim rolled his eyes as Gotham Bridge began to loom up in front of them, jutting out over the expanse of the river that would lead them closer towards the highway. Jason grunted at the information thoughtfully.

"And what's the big guy's sexuality, is he strictly into dicks, or does he play for both teams?" The question was out before Jason had a mind to stop it, and Tim, to his surprise, didn't take offense.

"He's bisexual, too. He was dating one of the cheerleaders before he and I- _wait_ ," Tim cut himself off with a scandalized gasp. Jason (despite the disappointment at not hearing the rest of _that_ little story) broke into a wide, toothy grin when Tim's eyes narrowed into a scold. "It's not your question anymore, you cheater, you got _two_ ," he complained.

"Shoulda been payin' attention, Princess," Jason snickered unapologetically. Tim stuck his tongue out indignantly, and for a split second, Jason had the burning impulse to  _bite_ it. 

Jesus. Getting a little carried away, wasn't he?

"Alright, fine. Do you prefer pitching or catching?" Blue eyes were oddly fiery as they flicked toward Jason. Awe, he mused; the kid thought he'd thrown Jason for a loop. Cute. But Jason wasn't shy, and if he wanted to get personal about sex, then two could play at that.

"Either. I'm not picky, usually I let whoever I'm with decide," Jason's answer was smooth and immediate with a shrug for good measure. "It gets _really_ fun though, when its both at the same time," Jason added ingeniously after a burst of sudden inspiration. Like he'd expected, Tim turned a brilliant shade of pink. They'd just entered the bridge now, and shadows from the steel beams of it began to flicker across Tim's comical expression.

"Threesomes, huh? How many of _those_ have you had?" Tim muttered, and Jason couldn't quite tell if it was awe or entertainment in his voice. Maybe a little of both.

"Nuh uh, I already answered your question, it's  _my_ turn," Jason jerked his thumb towards himself emphatically, and Tim pouted from the driver seat. God, that lower lip looked irresistible jutting out like that. Almost made him want to give in and admit that technically, there'd only been the one. Jason had made a pretty penny from that experience, too, as he recalled. But Tim didn't technically need to know that part yet. "Same question; top or bottom?"

The younger boy shifted suddenly in his seat and Jason noticed his nervous fingers tapping against the steering wheel. He frowned slightly, and when Tim audibly swallowed, it confirmed the answer before ever being admitted.

"I dunno," Tim's voice was quiet. Jason suddenly sobered, straightening up off the door and towards Tim instead.

"You've never had sex?" Jason blinked, a mix of surprise and...well, awe, sobering in his chest. Tim shrugged, keeping his eyes studiously on the road (they'd entered the highway, now) and flexing his jaw to prevent it from twisting into a cringe.

"Hey, that's-" Jason raised his hands supportively before Tim shook his head to cut him off.

"I know," he interjected quickly, using one hand to brush the hair out of his eyes. "I'm not ashamed," he explained firmly, tilting his chin just enough to glance at Jason, who nodded in understanding.

"You shouldn't be." Honestly, he was starting to feel ashamed himself for putting Tim in this position. The kid didn't have to explain himself, really. In fact, Jason had just opened his mouth to tell him so when Tim continued, sounding strained at first, but growing even more genuine and staring down softly.

"It's not like I'm waiting til marriage or anything, it's just-... I dunno, I always had this idea that when I did have sex for the first time, I'd make it really special and romantic. Not like, spur of the moment, backseat of the car kind of action, but-." There was a blush creeping up Tim's neck again, covering his cheeks, and Jason felt his own skin heat up in response. This admission felt...intimate and personal, and Jason just...never expected it to get  _this_ far. Maybe he should interrupt, relieve Tim of whatever kind of obligation he was feeling to tell him, because it really wasn't-

"I know it sounds stupid," Tim smiled sheepishly now, not quite able to look Jason in the eyes. "But I always pictured taking him to a place set up just for us. Candle lit dinner, some smuggled champagne in a nice hotel room-" Tim's eyes twinkled at the joke, and Jason leaned forward in a daze, letting himself visualize what Tim spoke. He could imagine it, Tim's skin in the flicker of the flames, flushed with the champagne they weren't legally able to drink yet. And maybe a little with want.

"-take a swim in the hot tub, or maybe fool around in a bubble bath," Tim went on, and it was Jason's turn to swallow, because  _woah_. Tim's flushed, naked skin under the hot water and suds? Shivering as he was touched, caressed even, and covered in wet kisses around his neck and down his-

This was getting-... Tim had thought about this a  _lot_. It was making Jason's heart pound so hard, he could hear the blood rushing in his ears. And Jason wasn't the virgin here,  _why_ was this affecting him so much? Jason could feel that his lips had parted, and he snapped them closed quickly before Tim could see.

"Wow. The only thing missing in that little fantasy would be rose petals and chocolate covered strawberries," Jason joked weakly, dispelling the enchantment with a flood of cool relief as Tim giggled in embarrassment. "Still, that guy's gonna be one lucky bastard," Jason whistled, slumping down back against the seat and watching idly as a gray SUV passed them by.

"And here I thought I was supposed to be the lucky one in that scenario," Tim hummed, amused. Jason smirked.

"Fair enough," Jason admitted before a pensive silence fell between them. Not uncomfortable, mind, just...amicable. Mostly just using the time to recover from such sudden, unexpected intimacy. He was touched, baffled, and admittedly more than a little turned on. Tim didn't just drop a bomb on him, he gave him an all out exclusive on some of his most private thoughts. And Jason had not only allowed himself to get drawn into the fantasy, but he'd pictured himself  _there_.  _With_ Tim. Touching him and pressing kisses against tender skin in a way that wasn't just quick and carnal, lust fueled or motivated by cash. It was...romance, or at least a picture of it, that Jason had never experienced, and it made his chest feel a little warm.

Maybe Tim was onto something, planning the whole special experience thing. Deep down, Jason knew he'd never be the one to give Tim that. He knew it was Conner fucking Kent, and he recognized the bubble of jealousy that appeared before stubbornly beating it back. Tim deserved that kind of romance, he decided, letting himself steal a glance at the boy's placid features. His blue eyes were soft and staring at the road, lost in thought. A thumb tapped absently against the steering wheel, and Jason wondered if it was even a conscious gesture, or something absent minded. Tim was probably still lost in his own little romantic world. Yeah, Jason definitely hoped Tim would get to feel that, and bring it to life. Maybe one day, far in the future probably, just maybe, Jason might get to experience something like it, too.

"So," Jason voiced, daring to break the silence at last. "I think it was your turn, Casanova." Tim beamed at him, and it made Jason's heart flip.

......................

The game continued, but they kept the questions relatively safe compared to before. 

God. Tim was still reeling at himself for babbling on and on about... about how he wanted to make love. He couldn't just leave it at "I'm a virgin, so sue me"? He'd been intrigued (a little too much so) at the sexual experiences Jason had just casually mentioned that Tim could only imagine in his hottest, wildest fantasies, that he'd become a little intimidated. Seriously, picturing Jason getting fucked by a faceless, attractive somebody and pressing into someone else, equally as attractive, at the same time? He _may_  have even pictured _himself_ writhing underneath Jason's touch at one point, or caressing his back from behind. And...because of that, he  _may_  have almost popped a stiffy. Oh  _god_ that would have been mortifying if Jason noticed. So yeah, he may have gotten shy and wanted to impress the far more experienced Jason after that, or at least make him understand the appeal Tim was going for by waiting.

The older boy had listened and even  _smiled_ (maybe even blushed again? Tim must have imagined it), so it gave Tim the encouragement he needed. Still, once the game had resumed, they stuck to the tamer side of things, even after they'd arrived to Bludhaven and settled into a table at a fast food joint. Neither of them had used a pass yet, at least.

"Name somewhere you've always wanted to travel," Tim quipped, and Jason hummed in thought for a moment before answering.

"Everywhere," he'd answered, tugging into a mysterious smile as he bit into his burrito.

"Come  _on_ , that's not a real answer," Tim whined, and Jason swallowed, chuckling back deep and rich from his throat.

"I've never really ...been outside Gotham," Jason finally explained, to Tim's shock. Never? That meant... was this was his first time? "If I could travel, I'd go see the whole world." Tim didn't swoon at that. He _didn't_ , damn it.

"I know you must have traveled though," Jason continued earnestly, and of course, that was a correct assumption. "So what's your favorite place besides Gotham?"

"Actually," Tim huffed sheepishly. "Gotham  _is_ my favorite place. I mean, India and Costa Rica were nice and all," Tim rushed when Jason blanched in surprise, letting a piece of lettuce accidentally drop from his lips. "But my parents literally travel for a living; they're archaeologists. They do exotic digs and tour the world giving speeches about their findings. But... they always stay out for months at a time, and it always made me homesick, so... eventually, they just started going without me," Tim muttered, staring down at his quesadilla and wondering if he'd just talked himself out of his appetite.

"They... _what_?" Jason repeated, gaping in disbelief. He'd had his drink in hand halfway towards his lips before pausing, and between that and the bugged out eyes, it was a pretty comical sight. A giggle escaped Tim before he could suppress it, and Jason blinked, returning to himself and setting his drink back down with a scoff of laughter.

"Sorry, I just... your parents really leave you by yourself for  _months_?" Jason winced, and Tim rolled his eyes, ignoring the pang of discomfort in favor of adopting his usual blase regarding the topic.

"Not  _alone_ , alone," Tim rephrased, shrugging indifferently. "I have a housekeeper, and Steph and Kon come over pretty regularly. I prefer it this way, I have a  _life_ here, I have my friends, my boyfriend, my school... my favorite _diner_ ," the serious expression on Jason's face twitched begrudgingly. "And look, now I have you, too," Tim added smoothly, and this time, Jason succumbed to the smile. 

"It's still shitty," Jason muttered finally, swigging a drink of soda.

"I don't disagree," Tim replied mildly, flicking his eyes down to the checkered table cloth dispassionately. "But trust me, I'm a big boy, I do well enough," he assured gently. Maybe more to himself than to Jason; he didn't exactly mention the lonely birthdays and Christmases, or the Mother and Father's days that his parents spent jet lagged, passed out in their bedroom, never acknowledging the hand made cards or letting the home made breakfast in bed go cold. He'd come to terms with the quiet house he lived in, and made a point to either have at least Stephanie over at all times, or just not be home. That was maybe a bit much to lay on Jason's feet right now, though, so... yeah.

"What about you, what do your parents do?" Tim changed the subject quickly with his turn. Jason grunted hesitantly, and Tim frowned. Maybe family... wasn't a good topic for either of them.

"Mom's a stripper," he began blatantly, deadpanned as Tim tried (and failed) to hide his sudden shock. "Don't worry, it's fine, you can gawk," he waved dismissively, and Tim winced in guilt. "I'm not one to sugar coat it, and neither is she. She dances at a nightclub; it's not super glorious, or anything, but it's safer than the street and helps pay the bills. As for dear old  _dad_ ," an sarcastic sneer graced Jason's lips that made Tim's stomach lurch. "He's currently spending his days in Blackgate Penitentiary for selling heroin a while back. Haven't seen him in almost eight years," Jason shrugged.

"Christ," Tim cursed in awe. Had Jason really been through so much? What else must he have seen in his young life if he's already so desensitized about drugs and strip clubs?  "I'm sorry."

"Please don't be," Jason's lips twisted suddenly, and Tim blinked. "I've had enough pity to last a life time. Pity doesn't change what happened or put food on the table. Plus, it's shit for my pride," Jason joked lightly, and Tim managed a tight smile.

"Is that why you got a job at the diner? To help pay bills?" Jason stilled suddenly, and bit into a cringe, deciding how to answer.

"More or less," Jason admitted reluctantly, fidgeting uncertainly with the edge of his napkin. "It's...mostly to get away from my last job." Tim knitted his brows together in concern, twitching and burning to ask the obvious question. Jason's eyes were like x-rays, and of course he saw the conflict before Tim even said anything. He sighed.

"Look...you already know I was a delinquent, right?" Jason began, chewing his cheek and resting his chin on his hand with a soft  _thunk_.

"Jay, you don't have to-"

"I know," Jason interrupted quickly. "But you opened up to me, so...it's only fair.  Let me get through this before I lose my nerve, okay?" his voice cracked, and Tim nodded soberly. Jason steadied himself with a deep breath.

"I told you I used to steal cars and commit petty theft and all that shit, right? Well...that's not... the only crime on my record. Not the one that paid the bills," Jason swallowed. Tim winced as a sinking feeling dropped into his gut. "When you're desperate for something to eat, you'll do just about anything. In my case, I started... sleeping with people for money."

Tim froze in shock, and it was only due to years of practice that he kept his face completely expressionless. Jason, at the very least, seemed relieved when Tim didn't immediately gasp. It did take a minute, however, for Tim's fractured mind to process the information and be able to breathe again.

"Jesus. Are you... okay?" Was the only thing he could think to ask, and Jason seemed surprised, almost pleasantly so as a soft, sad smile graced his lips.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I made sure to stay safe...contraceptives, monthly checks at the clinic. All that fun stuff," Jason murmured, lashes falling as he stared down at the table. Tim's heart ached in his chest, and he wanted so badly to reach out and touch Jason, to provide some form of comfort, so he did. He stretched his arm out, catching Jason's wrist and squeezing gently. Jason's eyes flicked back up, and teal seas were drowning him in an unreadable expression. But he didn't pull away.

"You...might just be the strongest person I've ever met," Tim admitted, surprising himself as much as the teenager in front of him. Jason's face pinkened  curiously, and he made a strange noise before clearing his throat and finally removing his hand from Tim's touch.

"I just told you I used to be a prostitute, and that makes me strong?" Jason puzzled in exasperation. Tim shook his head with a huff and chuckled out loud. Jason arched a challenging brow at him now, wondering what the hell he was probably thinking.

"I dunno many people who'd do what it took to live like that. I wouldn't last a day, probably, but Jay, _you_? You're a survivor," Tim sucked against his teeth for a moment, trying to explain his own strange logic. "You've made some mistakes, granted. That aside, look where you're at," Tim insisted with reverence. Jason glanced pointedly down at his half eaten fast food burrito and quirked an amused brow.

"You know what I mean, you smart ass," Tim rolled his eyes, making Jason erupt into a smirk. "Seriously, you told me yourself you busted your  _ass_ to get into Gotham Academy. Now you've got an  _actual_ job where you're  _safe_ , and despite having to help provide for yourself and your mom- which, by the way, no kid should _ever_ have to do- you've kicked all kinds of ass, and it can only get better from here at the rate you're going, right? You're _amazing_ , Jason," Tim's voice fell hushed in earnest awe. Jason blinked in shock for a moment, before grinning shyly and looking... _touched_

"You're embarrassing me, kid," Jason flushed after a moment, shaking his head but unable to hide a small grin.

"Good, it's healthy for you once in a while," Tim jibed playfully, before the two of them laughed at each other.

"Thank you for telling me," Tim added quietly once their chuckling died down. "Seriously...I know that must have been hard. Thank you for trusting me." Jason nodded once and worried his bottom lip between his teeth.

"We were supposed to get to know each other, right?" he shot back coyly. "Just...keep that between us, okay? I've never told anyone else," Jason swallowed nervously, and Tim gave him a smiling, reassuring nod.

"I promise. Just as long as you promise  _me_ that you're okay...that you won't need to go back to that anytime soon," Tim pleaded softly, and Jason grimaced. For another moment, Tim didn't think that Jason would answer; in fact, he almost seemed agitated at the words, but then he shrugged his shoulders in consent.

"I told you, I'm _okay_. It really shouldn't get back to that point, but... if it ever does, then yeah, I'll tell you. Just don't think of me as some kind of charity case, okay?" Jason warned sharply, and Tim frowned, recoiling indignantly.

"I don't," Tim defended, voice one pitch higher than normal. "I was thinking of you as my _friend._ " Jason's eyes softened, and he opened his mouth to say something, but when nothing came out, he closed it again.

"I made Jason Todd  _speechless_?" Tim teased, gasping and bring a hand up over his mouth. Jason rolled his eyes, his whole head in fact, and stuck his tongue out.

"Yeah, yeah, take the win while you can, Princess," Jay chuckled, and Tim winked playfully at him. "You about ready to go? The movie starts in 20 minutes, and Crista will skin us alive if we're late." Tim frowned at his own half eaten quesadilla and shrugged, picking it up and scarfing half of it in one bite.

"Yeah, 'm ready," he mumbled over a full mouth, and Jason stared, perplexed, before shaking his head in clear amusement. He surprised Tim too, by mirroring Tim's actions and inhaling the rest of his own burrito. Tim giggled roughly past the bite, and on an impulse, fished out his phone and clicked on the camera icon as fast as he could.

"Say cheeeeese," Tim giggled messily, stretching the phone out for a selfie of them. Jason grinned as obnoxiously as he could with a mouth full of food and grunted noisily as the camera clicked. They looked absolutely  _ridiculous_ in the photo, and Tim immediately saved and sent it to Stephanie with no caption, wondering what she'd make out of _that_. The thought made him grin, and hell, why not? He proudly made the image his wallpaper, too.

 _Fucking goofs_ , Stephanie shot back seconds later, and Tim showed it to Jason.

"Tell her she's just jealous," Jason taunted as they threw their trash away and headed for the exit.

"Already done," Tim's gleamed happily.

...............

Jason, despite revealing one of the biggest secrets in his  _life_ , was floating by the time they reached the theater. Like, the weight of a thousand worlds was lifted, that's how light Jason felt. And Tim...  _Tim_ , he'd been so kind and...compassionate to a startling degree, and Jason never would have expected that. Tim cared for him...told him he was strong, and called him  _amazing_. None of that was true, of course, but Jason was so moved by Tim's affection (when all he'd expected was pitied shock, and blatant discomfort), it had almost brought him to tears. And he hadn't cried in a long time.

It made him feel closer to Tim than he'd felt to anyone in a long time. It was  _terrifying_... it was exhilarating. And Jason couldn't help but notice that when Tim walked beside him now, he swayed closer than before, arms brushing against each other, or elbows jostling by accident, but neither seemed to mind at all. Jason was  _elated_.

Crista and her girlfriend, Lauren, greeted them at the box office and they quickly purchased tickets for some rom com that Jason wasn't particularly interested in, but Tim perked up enough at it that Jason went along with it. Two sodas and one large popcorn to share later, the four of them had taken their seats and the movie started up with a cheesy song blaring in overture. Jason was only half paying attention, because Tim had shifted and leaned his weight against Jason's shoulder, effectively distracting him, because  _fuck_ , it was so hard to resist wrapping that arm around Tim's slim shoulders, moving him closer.

_Keep it together, Todd._

Despite the butterflies wreaking havoc on his insides, eventually, he was able to relax enough to tune partway back to the plot. It wasn't horrible, actually, but it was pretty by-the-books; Ms. Cares-Too-Much-About-Her-Job has to pretend to be in a relationship with Mr. Just-Trying-To-Get-By or something, and ends up accidentally engaged at the family's bequest. Exasperation turns to pining, pining turns to shenanigans, and shenanigans turns into-

 _Oh_.

He wasn't expecting a sex scene.

After a particularly embarrassing episode where the couple ends up stranded in the rain in a broken down car (oh, the cliche), they end up bickering at each other on the side of the road, stepping closer and closer, until the tension snaps, and they're crushing their lips together in pure, unadulterated need.

Tim (who'd been resting his head against Jason's arm), tensed up, and Jason could hear him gulp when the guy pushed the woman up against the car and lifted her up and around his waist. The scene cut to back inside the car, in the backseat now as the lovers moaned against each other's necks and tore off their shirts one by one.

Jason tried, he  _really_ tried not to imagine the backseat of  _Tim's_ car, and the kind of gasps and pants that might come out of  _Tim's_ mouth if Jason got to kiss him like that. He stole a quick side glance at Tim's expression, and the boy was _transfixed_ on the screen, watching with slightly parted lips as the two began to tastefully roll their hips together, clutching and caressing every line and curve of each other as a soundtrack of music and rain overplayed above their sounds.

In Jason's experience, sex in the back of a car had always been rough, cramped, and quick, but the way these two made it look was absolutely sensual. The scene didn't last too long, but it took a good five minutes before he finally felt Tim relax again, only this time he'd shied away. They're arms still brushed up against each other, of course, but Tim didn't nuzzle back to rest against Jason's shoulder. He tried not to be disappointed. He really did.

After they got through the inevitable break up, the couple was about to go their separate ways for good before the guy professed his love for the woman, seconds before she got into the airport shuttle. They kissed, and she was crying a lot, but when it cut to their wedding as the credits started to roll, Jason smirked in approval before he could stop himself.

Tim wiped at his eyes conspicuously, and Jason consoled him with a lucrative pat on his back as the lights started to come back on. 

Crista had cried too, apparently, but Lauren seemed about as emotionally attached to the film as Jason was. They exchanged brief, knowing looks as Crista and Tim jabbered about how absolutely _perfect_ the movie was.

"They were so  _cute_ , I was gonna be really upset if he let her drive away," Crista sniffled, wiping underneath her watery eyes. Her girlfriend wrapped her in a reassuring embrace and kissed her cheek.

"I  _know_ ," Tim agreed passionately. "I mean, I know she was engaged to the other guy and all, but damn it, they were obviously perfect for each other, how could they not see that?!" he mused, and Jason snorted. Three pairs of eyes turned towards him, and Jason raised his palms up defensively.

"Oh, come on, there was no way for a  _second_ anyone thought they wouldn't end up together, it was so obvious," Jason reasoned. Tim and Crista both jabbered at him for that one, and he just shook his head as they trailed back into the lobby.

"Thanks for coming out, Jay. Even if you are a cynic at heart," Crista teased, squeezing her arms around his shoulders in a hug.

"No problem. We should do it again, sometime," Jason replied easily. Crista smiled and nodded.

"It was good seeing you again, too, Tim! You should stop by the diner more and visit me and your boyfriend," she winked, making both boys freeze in their tracks. Jason shot her a glare, which she giddily ignored, and Tim was blushing a rosy pink across his entire face.

"Crista-" Jason scowled, before the girl grabbed Lauren by her waist and started dragging her away towards the door.

" _Bye_ , boys," his coworker singsonged at them with a wink. "I'm taking my lady home for some private time, you two should do the same!"

" _Crista!_ " Jason barked, but she had already whisked out the doors, leaving them alone by the concession counter. Jason grunted in frustration before turning back toward Tim.

"Sorry, I  _swear_ I told her not to do that," he sighed. A timid smile turned up at him, and Tim shrugged.

"It's fine."

"No, she's still a shit, but whatever. Come on, then, I guess," Jason urged, jerking his head towards the parking lot. "The snow's already started to fall, we should probably get home."

And snow, it had. Not very much yet, but there was at least a good inch already piled up after the hour and a half spent in the theater, and it was still coming down pretty hard.

"Fuck," Tim shivered against the chill when they exited, snatching his keys quickly and making Red Bird chirp her position out to them.

"You know, in hindsight... Why didn't you park a little closer?" Jason chuckled, each breath visibly whisking through the cold air as they shuffled towards the car. They wasted no time clamoring inside.

"Oh, bite me, Jay," Tim smirked as he fumbled the keys into the ignition. The car purred to life immediately, and Tim cranked the heat up as high as it would go.

"It'll warm up in a minute," he promised before using the windshield wipers to clear the snow away from the glass so he could see. Jason was shivering himself after a minute, and at that point, Tim's teeth were chattering beside him. A thought crossed his mind momentarily before he laughed at himself and shook it away.

"W-what?" Tim quirked up, and Jason grinned.

"I'd offer you my jacket, but I still haven't gotten the last one back," Jason explained humorously. Tim grinned himself now, albeit a bit sheepishly.

"S-sorry, I should get that back to y-you," he shivered, putting his hands in front of the vent and sighing in relief when the air finally blew warm.

"It's no big deal, dude, no rush," Jason shrugged, nearly groaning when as the warmth started to hit his skin. Truthfully, it kind of gave him a private satisfaction that Tim hadn't returned it yet. It made him think that, just maybe, Tim wanted to keep that part of him, and that maybe he wrapped himself up in it or something late at night. Which was beyond dripping with cheese, but still.

There was comfortable silence now as Tim started driving, and Jason relaxed into the seat as white powdered roads trailed past their windows. He noticed Tim was driving slower than normal, which was probably a good thing in this weather. That also meant the drive would be slightly longer. Maybe closer to an hour rather than 45 minutes. Jason found that he didn't mind that in the least.

Neither of them spoke until after Tim was back on the highway, while Jason was watching the white blanketed trees zip past.

"You think of any more questions?" a soft voice, Tim's obviously, called out. Jason turned towards him and blinked stupidly. "I think it was your turn, right?"

Oh! Jason smiled warmly, despite not catching on as quickly as he should have, humming in thought. He hadn't been thinking at all, to be honest, but if Tim was open to more questions, then he'd happily find some to ask.

"Right, yeah.... what'd you think of the movie? Really?" he inquired. That was simple enough to start with.

"I liked it," Tim smiled, tapping his fingers against the steering wheel. "You're right, it  _was_ a bit cliche, but-" and Jason piqued up when Tim snuck a shy look at him, "-it had its moments."

"Like what?" Jason leaned in with a murmur. Tim suddenly grinned and shook his head mischievously.

"My turn," he reminded with a cluck of his tongue. Jason rolled his eyes, but nodded anyway.

"Shoot."

"Have you ever had sex in a car?" Jason jerked in surprise, and he could see Tim biting back an embarrassed laugh. That movie had effected Tim more than he originally thought.

"Well yeah, obviously," Jason replied, dumbfounded. He'd literally done it for a living, after all. "...Why?"

"Is that you question?" Tim murmured quietly, fingers tightening bashfully around the wheel. Jason considered for a moment, curious about this new shyness, and decided that yeah, he'd love to know what was ruffling Timmy's feathers.

"Sure."

"Pass," Tim smirked, and Jason dropped his jaw in a disappointment. That is so not the question he wanted to win an hour of drive time for.

" _Awe_ ," he whined, crossing his arms.

"Are you pouting?" Tim turned toward him with an amused quirk of his brows.

"Is that _your_ question?" Jason mimicked, sticking his tongue out like the sore loser he was.

"Oh, you baby," Tim snorted, turning back to the road. "No. My question-" his face fell into a grimace of hesitation. Jason tilted his head in worry. "How... how many people have you slept with?" For a moment, just out of spite, Jason considered passing. Hell, he almost passed due to sheer shame, too. He felt it like a thick, heavy weight sinking in his chest.

"You seriously asked that?" he snorted quietly. And why the hell would that matter anyway? he asked himself with a silent curse. He wasn't trying to _impress_ Tim, this was just a game of honesty after all.

"That's not how the game works," Tim reminded him, as if reading his damn mind. Jason chuffed a soft laugh and sighed in surrender as he counted back in his head.

"Twenty-three," he stated simply once he'd finished the tally.

" _Oh_ ," Tim blinked, voice two pitches higher than Jason expected.

"You seem shocked," Jason rested his elbow on the center console and frowned. "More than you were counting on?"

" _Less_ ," Tim admitted with a dark blush, and Jason made a face.

"Less?" he scoffed in disbelief. And maybe a bit of indignation. He may have been a prostitute, but jesus, he wasn't  _that_ easy. "I had a lot of regulars, I didn't just screw anybody who offered me a 50. I have _standards_ ," he explained sourly. Plus his side of the street was slightly less populated than the girls. Especially after Grindr and Tinder took off.

"Sorry," Tim practically whimpered the apology, and Jason could feel the anger in his chest falter. Tim didn't know any better, why was Jason getting all ruffled up for? Shit. Jason sighed and let himself soften, and he could feel Tim relax in relief.

"So you charged 50 for a fuck?" Tim suddenly smirked, and Jason had to choke back a startled laugh. Jesus, the kid was perceptive.

"Oh, no, no," Jason chuckled darkly with an emphatic shake of his head. "I said they  _offered_ me 50. I _charged_ more than twice that." Tim's eyes bulged out and he choked. Jason rolled his own eyes at the boy.

"And people actually _pay_ that much for sex?" Tim coughed out weakly once he'd gained a hold of himself again.

"If you find the right clientele," Jason muttered bemused now, quickly growing bored of the topic. Don't get him wrong, he understood Tim's curiosity, it was just... this was something he never really had to talk about out loud, and it was....weird. "That was  _two_ questions, by the way. Three if we're getting technical," Jason pointed out, and Tim chuckled apologetically with a shrug.

"Sorry. Your turn, then."

"What's the dirtiest thing you've ever done?" Jason shot out challengingly, and Tim flashed him a mysterious little smile.

"I sucked Kon's cock at half time under the stands once."  _Fuck_. Jason's mouth dried and he had to force himself to swallow as Tim smirked triumphantly. Jason did _ask_ for that little image, after all. And now that Jason had actually gone to a game and saw how very open and  _public_ that was, it made Jason realize Tim was probably kinkier than he gave him credit for. So much for vanilla romance, huh?

"An exhibitionist. Kinky," Jason chuckled, and Tim winked. Yeah. Jesus.

"What age did you lose your virginity?" Tim's next question hit him like rapid fire. God damn it with his stupid, bolder and bolder questions.

"You sure you wanna know the answer to that?" Jason tutted, and Tim frowned.

"As afraid now...as I am to say  _yes_ , you can always pass?" Tim worded carefully, and Jason actually laughed in disdain. If that was why Tim was pressing so hard about this, then fuck him. He wasn't scared.

"And give up one of my last three cigarettes? Not a chance, you asked for it. I was 13," Jason answered gruffly, and this time, Tim gasped. Yeah, yeah, gawk it up.

"W-...wow," he voiced, exercising his expression carefully. Jason appreciated the effort, but Tim was the one who asked when he probably should have known better. His paid sexcapades weren't exactly a great topic to begin with, and the fact that he'd been so young when it started? Not his proudest accomplishment. He wished Tim would just drop it at this point.

"How big is meat head's cock?" Jason retorted his question quickly, if only to distract the boy from dwelling on the last one too hard.

"You mean  _Kon_?" Tim scoffed defensively, and Jason rolled his eyes.

"Whatever, yeah." Suddenly Tim turned pink again, and Jason's lip curled of its own accord. Oh boy, this should be good. Was it enormous and monstrously, disproportionately huge just like the rest of him? Or was it just a shrivelled little thing, and the muscles were something he was trying to compensate for it?

"Pass," Tim muttered meakly, and Jason cursed.

" _Wimp_ ," Jason accused as Tim sucked on his cheek with embarrassment. That was two hours with Red Bird, at least.

"Bite me," Tim snapped back. "How big is  _your_ cock?" he challenged, and suddenly Jason split into a wicked grin.

"You really wanna find out?" Jason glimmered darkly, edging his hand slowly and obviously towards his fly in a blatant challenge. Tim squeaked loudly in shock before jerking away, and then-

And then that's when everything went to shit.

Tim had jerked so hard that the car swerved to the side. The boy shouted in alarm and tried to fix it, but ended up over correcting and screeching into a full blown skid. As if that weren't enough, there was a nasty patch of ice that Tim couldn't avoid, and the second the out of control car hit it, they were spinning out.

Jason's whole body was clenched in silent panic, gripping the handle above for safety and Tim- oh god, the poor teen was screaming in terror and slamming frantically on the brakes.

For a single, heart stopping second, the car almost flipped. Jason closed his eyes shut tight, but then just as suddenly, Red Bird squealed to a noisy stop on the far side of the road, causing both boys to slam back forcefully against their seats. The car shuddered, engine coughing pathetically for a second, then all at once, Jason and Tim were left breathless and silent when it finally gave out.

" _Shit_ ," Jason wheezed, finally gasping for air a second later. He whipped his eyes over towards the younger teen, who was still clenched and frozen in the driver seat. Sky blue eyes were vacant, and he didn't respond when Jason called out to him, but he seemed otherwise unharmed.

"Tim?  _Tim_ , come on, talk to me," Jason panicked, unbuckling his seat belt and scooting closer to grab Tim by the shoulder.

"Come on, man,  _breathe_. Don't make me _slap_ you," he warned, but it was more of a desperate plea than anything. Finally, Tim blinked once and forced himself to let go of the steering wheel. Jason sighed in relief.

"Thank  _fuck_. Are you okay?" Jason furrowed his brows in worry, tilting Tim's chin up and trying to get him to look at him. When Tim finally  _did_ meet Jason's eyes, they stared up, lost for a moment, before starting to water up.

Uh oh.

He felt Tim start to tremble, and the only warning he got before Tim started choking up was a sudden rush of limbs falling against him and clutching against his chest.

" _Jay_ ," Tim cried out with a gasp before dissolving into uncontrollable sobs.

 _Fuck_.

.............................

 


	11. Into The Deep End

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's a (Not So) Platonic Date, Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy double update, Batman! It's fluffy hurt-comfort time, I hope you're prepared. This chapter's a lot shorter than the last one, because I gave up on trying to condense the date into one chapter, it's just...too much okay? Two dozen god damn rewrites trying make it perfect and I just. *Cries* This is why it took so long, btw.
> 
> Anyway, I was going to make ch.11 another 10k monster, but I decided that since it had a good stopping point anyway, I'm going to split the last part of the date into easier, bite sized chunks and just wrap it up in ch.12 so the boys can move on to the next phase. I'll have it posted soon, I promise!
> 
> Let me hear from you guys in the comments, I love hearing your opinions and any advice or head canons you have for me. And fan art is always welcome and appreciated *hint hint, wink wink, silent begging* 8''')

_" I'm sorry. God, I'_ _m so, **so** sorry."_

It was a while before Tim was able to calm down enough to recognize that Jason was talking to him.

He remembered playing that stupid game, provoking Jason (because he was trying to even the score, okay, damn it) and then he'd taken it too far. He recalled jerking in surprise, then losing control of the wheel- but god, everything was a blur of motion and terror after that. If he tried to relive it, it would just bring another strangled wail to his lips, and make his chest constrict so tightly that he couldn't breathe.

"Shh, it's okay Tim, It's not your fault...it's mine." Jason's voice cracked softly in his ear.

 _No_... No, it wasn't. Tim was prying. Tim had pissed Jason off, riled him up... He could tell Jason was upset before, why didn't he just stop while he was ahead?

Another sob choked up in his throat, and he felt Jason's hand stroke soothingly down his back...again, and again. He must have been dong it for a _while,_ Tim noticed, sniffling and clutching miserably against something warm and soft.

He opened his eyes; he was curled tightly against Jason's chest, wrapped up inside Jason's arms even. The soft material was Jason's sweater against his cheek, and- and  _god_ , it was soaked all over the front with tears, and probably horribly stretched where his fingers had gripped so tightly.

"I'm sorry, Tim," Jason whispered again, and Tim could feel the soft tickle of his lips against the top of his head, and the warmth of his breath through his hair as he spoke.

"Jay," Tim hiccuped, trembling and curling tighter against the bulk of his chest. Jason snapped his gaze down instantly, before exhaling heavily in relief.

"Hey, Princess," his voice wavered gently, and it made Tim's throat clench. Tim felt gentle fingers carding through his hair to sooth him, and he closed his eyes against the touch. "You back with me?" Tim nodded, shivering as he curled closer to Jason's warm chest.

"I-" Tim's throat was raw and painfully dry, which is probably why his voice cracked as pathetically as it did. "I don't... " Tim's eyes started to water again before he blinked it back stubbornly. "We're not dead are we?" A beat of silence passed between them before he could feel Jason's chest shake with soft laughter.

"No. Still alive and kicking for now," Jason confirmed patiently, holding back an understated chuckle. "We just spun out pretty badly, that's all."

"That's  _all_?" Tim choked on his own disbelief. All that terror, all that panic... he wanted to be angry at how stupidly simple and harmless it was compared to the panic attack that had followed. It could have been worse,  _so_ much worse.

"To be fair, it was still pretty scary," Jason seemed to respond to his very thoughts. Understatement, if Tim every heard one. "You've probably never had the car lose control before, huh?" Tim whimpered as the unpleasant memory resurfaced, and he could feel the cold panic start to claw back up his throat.

"I'm _sorry_ ," Tim trembled, eyes hot as salt water filled his vision. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have lost control, I shouldn't have _panicked_ , it's my  _fault_ -" If anything had happened to Jason because of this, if they'd ended up getting  _hurt_ , Tim wouldn't-...

He couldn't-...

And oh fuck, there was no telling what kind of damage could have been done to Red Bird. Or what was  _already_ done. The tears streamed down again before he could stop them, and he gasped desperately for breath.

" _Shh_ ," Jason hushed, letting Tim bury his face back against the soft material of his sweater, trying to hide his shame.

"I'm sorry," he sniffled pathetically as his eyes burned with hot tears again. He could feel rather than see Jason's head shake, and suddenly both Jason's arms were wrapped comfortingly around his back. It was warm...and made him feel safe like that. He didn't deserve it, but he leaned into the touch like he was starved for it.

"Don't be," Jason mumbled. "I...shouldn't have made that fucking joke, anyway. It was...really dumb." Tim sniffled again and frowned in confusion. Then he remembered, that look on Jason's face, his hand inching toward his crotch. A flare of heat burned across his cheeks, because yeah, that's definitely what startled him.

"It was because of _my_ question," his voice was muffled against Jason's sweater now, as he hid his mortified expression away. "I was stupid to ask... stupid to lose control like that-"

"Hey," Jason scolded, tapping gently against Tim's back to make him look back up. Tim grimaced, but Jason's eyes weren't angry or scornful. They were just...sad, it looked like. And a little tired underneath that frown. "So maybe the whole thing could have been handled with a little more finesse. Can we agree on that?" he chuckled, his breath wafting against Tim's cheek as a ghost of his former humor returned. Tim forced a placating smile and nodded.

"Good, see? That's a start," Jason returned a strained smile, and the two of them quickly fell silent again. Tim nuzzled miserably against Jason's form and just...collapsed. Not physically, but his brain felt exhausted after working overdrive through all that terror and shock and guilt.

"I should check on the car," Jason murmured gently into his ear, tensing his muscles as if to get up. Tim whined, and clutched tightly at his sweater, and Jason stilled uncertainly.

"You don't want me to go?" Jason mused, and his voice was almost playful again. Tim shook his head quickly against his torso and sniffed.

" _Please don't leave me_." Funny...it didn't even sound like his own voice. But he knew he said it. He just wanted to be still now, and not think. To not be alone to torment himself anymore. To find something to ground his weary mind. Jason settled back into their seat- the backseat, Tim noticed. Jason must have managed to move them during his panic attack. But at least it gave them room to stretch out together, since Tim wasn't releasing his hold on Jason. Tim needed to feel him there, to ground him before his sanity floated away, never to return.

"I'm here," he whispered, and Tim breathed a sigh of relief. Jason stayed, and Tim was grateful.

For a long time after that, neither of them spoke. Neither of them wanted to break the blanket of silence surrounding them, or rather  _shielding_ them from the outside world. Here in Jason's arms, there was no panic, no judgement, and no expectations; there was only warmth, safety, and unconditional support. Mrs. Mac wasn't there to scold his carelessness or smother him incessantly despite her helpful intentions to ease his anxiety; Steph wasn't there to chew him out for curling up against Jason's chest, or trying to force her version of helpful advice to maintain his image...his  _mask_ ; and Kon wasn't there to numb the problem or try and convince him he'd fix it for him like some kind of super hero.

Tim messed up.

He might have severely damaged his car.

But Jason was still here, and he wasn't trying to tell Tim what to think, or how to act. Neither was he trying to make the situation less than what it was. Jason was just  _there_ ; a silent pillar of support for Tim to hold onto to anchor him and let him rest. Tim knew he'd also be there to help him figure this out when Tim could find the strength to stand again, but for now, this was enough.

The steady thumping of Jason's heart against his cheek was enough. Rising and falling against Jason's chest with every soft breath, surrounded by his familiar, clean scent was enough. Jason's body was a lullaby, soothing and sweet, and Tim nuzzled against him as if he could get any closer.

He could feel the air in the cabin start to get cold, and could see the beginnings of tendrils spiraling from every breath. If they hadn't been sharing body heat, Tim might have shivered, but as it was...

"Thank you," Tim murmured, breaking the long silence after a while. Jason lifted his head up from where he'd propped it against the window and blinked his eyes open sleepily. Tim smiled up apologetically; the older boy had been dozing, and it made him look so...innocent and beautiful.

"F'r what?" he croaked sluggishly, lifting one of the arms draped around Tim's shoulders to wipe the tiredness from his eyes. Tim shook his head fondly, and instead of answering, simply giggled at the endearing image. Jason cocked an eyebrow up suspiciously. "Somethin' funny, Tim?" he asked.

"It's nothing," Tim hummed softly, cuddling back into the sweater and tugging a few loose threads absently. He could still feel the teen's curious, blue, x-ray eyes on him, though, so Tim relented."You're just cute when you're sleepy, is all." Jason's chest shook with a small snort, and Tim hid a flush by burying his face in it.

"Only when I'm sleepy?" his eyes crinkled at his own joke, and Tim snorted.

" _Someone's_ got a massive ego," he grinned, curling closer into Jason's chest. And to his pleasure, there were Jason's arms again, wrapping around him.

"You seem to like it just fine," Jason retorted, stroking his fingers along Tim's spine. Tim's chest fluttered at that, both from his words and his touch. It occurred to him, in that second, that they were probably more intimate right now than they should be, what with sprawling across each other, flirting and touching like this. It...rather reminded him of the movie earlier, in a similar scene set in the back of a car. God, Jason had been right  _there_ when the sex scene came on; Tim had been burning  _alive_ during that scene, trying not to squirm or give away that the scene was stirring heat into his belly when Jason was perfectly content and still, sitting just  _inches_ away from him. That had been a special kind of torture, Tim remembered, and he was beginning to feel his insides warm and stir again, albeit for a slightly different reason.

"Maybe," Tim consented lightly as a faint blush heated his cheeks. Jason paused, eyes widening with clear, interested surprise. "Then again, maybe I just keep you around 'cause you're good looking."

"Ouch," Jason smirked down at him in amusement, fingers resuming their feather light pathways down Tim's back once again. "That's the only reason?"

"Your back rubs are nice, too," Tim admitted, mewling into the sensation of Jason's caresses. He could feel Jason chuckle underneath him at that, and this time, his fingers trailed all the way up to Tim's neck, massaging appreciatively before trailing back down.

"You know...I don't give them out very often," Jason replied after a moment, breaking the quiet that had fallen over them again.

"Really? That's a shame," Tim jutted his lip out in a pout. Jason started to laugh, but cut off in surprise when Tim suddenly circled his arms around Jason's waist in a moment of shy inspiration.

"You're hugging me?" Jason questioned in awe, and Tim could feel his muscles ease back as he relaxed into it. Tim nodded and squeezed his arms.

"I don't give these out very often, either," Tim murmured earnestly in explanation. He only gave them freely to three other people, and one of them was mostly because she always hugged him first.

"...Thank you," Jason's voice was scarcely above a whisper, and sounded strangely tight to Tim's ears. When he looked up, Jason's face was slack and completely vulnerable in a way that Tim had never seen from him before; a way that let him see the full weight and sorrow of Jason's world in the lines of his face, and the overwhelming depth of raw warmth and adoration in the teal pools of his eyes that made Tim want to drown in them. Jason was touched beyond measure by such a simple gesture, and it made Tim wonder how lonely and starved for true affection Jason's life must have been. He saw so much of himself, of his own grief and gratitude reflected there, that Tim's own eyes watered involuntarily before he tugged Jason closer and buried his head into the crook of Jason's neck. He may not give hugs out often, but if anyone deserved it more from him, it was definitely Jason.

Jason returned the embrace full force, tightening his own arms and snaking one hand up to cradle the back of Tim's head instinctively. And they just...held each other, reluctant to let go for a long time. When Jason did finally pull away, it wasn't completely out of Tim's arms, but just enough to loosen their limbs up and press their foreheads together. Tim could feel the soft, warm billow of Jason's breath puffing against his cheeks, but he didn't mind. 

Quite the opposite, actually.

Tim swallowed thickly to soothe his parched throat, and felt his cheeks prickle with warmth as he dared to brush their noses together. Jason's breath faltered, and now his eyes were flicking down unmistakably to...to Tim's lips.

Something ignited underneath his skin, deep inside his core that electrified every nerve ending from his brain, all the way back down to the root of his groin. Jason was so very close, and Tim was burning too hot. And when Tim's eyes wandered down, he found Jason's lips were so very, very pretty.  No denying anymore, Tim had wanted nothing more than Jason's lips pressed against him.. Tim's hands were already drifting up the older boy's back as if urging, even begging him to close the distance.

"Do you-... Can I kiss you?" Jason breathed softly. And that was all it took.

" _Please, god yes,_ " Tim answered in a moan of surrender. Then Tim's eyes were fluttering shut when Jason closed the distance, eagerly pressing their lips together at last.


	12. Take Me to Church

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Oh...god," Tim blinked, blue eyes still clouded with haze as Jason looked back up.
> 
> " _Oh, god_."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovelies! Happy update again. So Tim and Jay finally kissed, and Jason's starting to fall alarmingly fast for Tim. We already knew Tim was super head over heals, so. Things get a little hot and heavy as the boys get carried away, then reality cuts in and feelings happen. Also Shakespeare gets involved, because I'm garbage, but its THE ONLY WAY I KNOW HOW TO COMMUNICATE OKAY? Angst is had, and the situation (heh heh) leaves its mark on the boys in more ways than one. 
> 
> Next chapter is Tim centric again, working through his aftermath of guilt and repressed feelings back home. 
> 
> Also yes, just in case you're wondering, I named the chapter after that Hozier song just because. FIGHT ME.
> 
> Anyway, lots of love, hope you enjoy, and let me know what you think! :)

Ask him what compelled him do it -what made him swoon and crack his already questionable resolve, what had him all but confessing the way he truly felt for the boy in his arms- and Jason will tell you it was some kind of fluke. It had to be, there was no other way Tim Drake would ask him to stay, to cuddle up against him, and  _hold_ him like that (like he wanted them to just... melt together). Jason had ached when Tim hugged him; had reeled, in fact, at the best kind of agony flaring up in his chest and being quelled by Tim's gentle, flowing arms. Jason couldn't tell you how long it had been since anyone, even his own mom, had held him like that. What's more is he didn't even realize how starved he was for it -for real, honest, _genuine_  affection. It was so much so, that the sudden tidal wave that Tim had given flooded right through his defenses and overwhelmed him to the point of emotional wreckage. Of _vulnerability_. Jason had hung onto Tim for dear life, surrendering himself to the desolate, utter  _craving_ for touch, and drinking in every drop Tim offered.

The gratitude he felt was like the first, gasping breath of life when one survived near drowning; it burned, it sang with _relief_ , and kindled something inside his chest. Something that was already an ember before, now blooming to a full blown wildfire in the shape of Tim's name. There were no words he could possibly say, no clever quip or witty quote that came to mind, when all he wanted to do was express what the boy had made him feel, to show Tim how much he truly meant to Jason in that moment. 'Thank you' just hadn't been enough; it had  _completely_ fallen short, the simplicity frustrating Jason to no end. But then...then, Tim was gazing up at him with those half-lidded baby blues, lips parted, and Jason suddenly  _knew_. Fuck, he'd never wanted anything _more._  He shouldn't... something nagging in the back of his buzzing mind _knew_ that he shouldn't, but the intensity of his own longing for the younger teen was blinding. Then, when he felt Tim pulling him closer, reasoning shattered, and all Jason could do was give in. So he asked.

Fluke or not, the way Tim moaned his consent like it was all he ever wanted and Jason was a goner.

Tim was so soft against his lips, all pliant and breathy with eagerness. Jason groaned, cupping the back of Tim's neck and lacing his fingers through dark tufts of hair. Tim mewled at the sensation and, at Jason's very subtle nip against his mouth, parted his lips so god damn sweetly. Jason teased his tongue inside the wet heat of his mouth, and hummed appreciatively when he tasted dark coffee and honey, rich and saccharine all at once.

Tim wasn't shy at the new development; he was eager, enthusiastic in fact, clawing into Jason's shoulders and keening as Jason's hands roamed and caressed. When Jason's right hand drifted to massage Tim's hip and upper thigh, Tim was moaning again, and he surprised Jason by breaking their lips apart in favor of suddenly biting into the hollow of Jason's  _throat_. A small, surprised gasp erupted from him at the unexpected contact, and suddenly his left hand (which had been carding innocently through Tim's hair) tightened reflexively into light tug. He heard Tim gasp in his ear, but before Jason could try and apologize, Tim was back to nipping and sucking his neck again, peppering the skin there with alarming new zeal, and using a grip on Jason's shoulders to climb forward and-  _oh_ , _shit_ , and straddle his lap. 

Jason groaned loudly, letting his head thunk back against the door willingly enough and tilting his head to grant Tim better access to his throat. He  _really_ liked their new position. Maybe a bit too much, he realized, because with Tim on top of him like this, his jeans were slowly starting to constrict with every move Tim made. (Jason was like, 60% sure it wasn't intentional, but still). Jason welcomed Tim's eager lips against his own again for a moment, relishing the rich taste with a hum before pulling back and beginning an assault of his own against Tim's sensitive skin. He nipped playfully at the teen's jaw, peppering along with light kisses and stopping just when he reached Tim's earlobe to bite it, making Tim's head tilt forward with the momentum, before sucking the flesh in affectionately. Tim whimpered noisily now, small hips bucking against Jason's abdomen. Jason panted, gripping Tim's hips and caressing instinctively, because Christ, Tim was already  _hard_. This was getting-

He didn't get a chance to finish that thought, because Tim had latched onto Jason's neck again, just above his collar, and was sucking  _hard_.

" _Fuck_ , Tim," Jason cursed behind a wrecked moan, hips bucking up of their own accord where his own obvious, growing erection pressed against Tim's thighs. He didn't want to stop. _Never_ wanted Tim to stop touching him, to stop kissing, but his heart was pounding so god damn hard, and a nagging little memory was starting to bleed through the closer they got to tearing their clothes off. 

_"...I'd make it really special and romantic. Not like, spur of the moment, backseat of the car kind of action..."_

Jason was shivering now; the irony wasn't lost on him, even as Tim released his neck with a wet  _pop_. 

" _Jay_ ," Tim panted, purposefully arching against him now, all lust and need. Jason's resolve almost went out the window right there.

"Tim, god, If you don't slow down, you'll have me begging for something you're not ready for," Jason warned weakly, squeezing Tim's hips and almost pleading as he squeezed his eyes shut. Tim stilled, and Jason shuddered in both disappointment and relief.

"Oh...god," Tim blinked, blue eyes still clouded with haze as Jason looked back up. Tim blinked again, gazing down where his legs were strewn over Jason's lap, with Jason's hands sprawled intently over his pelvis, and then up Jason's silent, heaving chest. Tim's eyes lingered for a moment on Jason's bare throat, then finally dragged back up to meet his eyes. All too soon, those baby blues were widening in alarm and mortification when clarity finally sunk in. Jason couldn't help but wince. " _Oh, god_."

Tim scrambled away then, pink flush of arousal across his cheeks reddening into shame as he tried to hide his face.

"Tim, wait-" Jason was reaching out in shock, and Tim groaned, curling his knees to his chest as he backed himself into the other door.

"Jason, I'm so sorry," Tim whined from underneath his fingers. Jason paused and frowned in reluctant confusion.

"Sorry?" he repeated stupidly, brain still desperately trying to reboot and ignore the phantom lips against his cheek. Was Tim trying to apologize for  _turning him on_? That was hardly a-

Tim had moved his hands back down now, and then Jason saw it; saw Tim finger the little silver ring on his left with something like nausea written across his face.

"Oh... _shit_ ," Jason scowled, falling back against his door again with an angry  _thunk_ against the glass window. " _Shit_. I'm the one who should apologize,  I- _ugh_ ," he grunted, silently cursing the universe for its cruelty. Guess it _was_ a fluke, and now there was about to be consequences. "I fucked up, I shouldn't have kissed you. I'm so sorry."

"Jay, I- _no_ ," Tim shook his head mechanically in denial, and Jason cringed. "You don't understand, I....I  _wanted_ it," Tim's eyes were fearful, but nonetheless genuine. Jason sucked in a pained breath and blew out a heavy sigh (he didn't want to believe it, damn it, not  _now_ when he couldn't-...when  _they_  could never-).

"It was...just a moment of weakness, Tim," Jason squeezed his eyes shut in denial of his own, because what he was about to say was going to kill him. "You were worked up after the car incident. The kiss-  it didn't have to mean anything... if you don't want it to, okay?" Tim froze. Jason couldn't even hear the teen breathe anymore, and when Jason finally managed to crack his eyes open, Tim's face was  _heartbroken_. Jason's stomach lurched, and he wanted to throw up.

"Are you saying it... _did_ mean something to you?" Tim choked out a whisper. An icy shock slithered up Jason's spine after realizing he'd just outed himself. Fuck, shit, stupid  _fucking_ -

"...Yes," he admitted quietly, because what else could he do? There was no point in lying at this point. "I...shit, I'm trying to give you an out, alright? Don't make it more complicated by making me admit that I have _feelings_ for you." The confession was raw, and it made him choke with the sudden fear that this may have just damaged their friendship more than Tim was willing to salvage it. Jason...may have just lost Tim  _completely._

"Jason..." Tim shifted softly, seemingly at a loss for words and if anything, the sound of his own name on Tim's lips only made Jason feel worse. A pensive beat passed, long enough to make Jason's fingers twitch with agitation before Tim continued. "Jay, I've had a crush on you since we  _met_." Jason's head snapped up in disbelief, and he almost wanted to clean out his ears to make sure he'd heard it correctly. But Tim's eyes were earnest, if maybe a little crestfallen, as he wrapped his arms forward around his knees. "That day at the diner, you know? I tried not to, I knew better.... _know_ better," he chided himself continuously with a groan. "But you're one of the most incredible people I know. You're stubborn and witty, made one  _hell_ of an impression that first day because of it, and you're also  _kind..._ so giving, and  _freaky_ smart... _strong_ to a fault. It's like, the more I get to know you, the more I just _admire_ you so _much_. God... I'm such a _sap_ , but it's my own damn fault for falling for you like this, I shouldn't have-"

"Say that again," Jason breathed before he could stop himself. He's listened in awe (and shock, more than anything) as Tim explained on and on as he was wont to do. But he clung to every word that Tim spoke, and if they hadn't already gotten themselves in trouble from it, Jason might have kissed the teen again.

"The whole drawn out thing?" Tim blinked in exasperation, and Jason actually had the gall to chuckle.

"No, dummy. Just... the part where you said you fell for me," Jason murmured, leaning towards the boy slowly in earnest."I want to make sure I remember that." For later, he added silently, when they had to pretend this never happened. Tim's cheeks flooded pink, and he bit his lip.

"You first," Tim taunted gently. Jason smirked sadly, reaching into his memory for some kind of folly expression on just how far, how deep he was already drowning. And god damn it if it didn't circle all the way back to the fucking Bard.

" _'Did my heart love til now? Forswear it, sight! For I ne'er saw true beauty til this night,_ ' " he quoted wistfully under his breath, and Tim's expression morphed from aching, understated amusement to open-mouthed astonishment as baby blue eyes filled with tears. Jason felt a lump form in his own throat, and he swallowed stubbornly back against it. He knew what was coming, that was the purpose of the quote.

" _Jay_ , I-..." Tim sniffed, wiping a real, genuine tear from his cheek as it fell. "' _These_ -'...fuck," Tim tried clearing his throat for a response.

_" ...'These violent delights have violent ends and in their triumph die, like fire and powder, which as they kiss consume.' "_

Jason's heart fell, the warning of the Friar crystal clear in its meaning, both in the play as well as in their current...predicament. But Tim, to his surprise, wasn't done yet, because the teen sucked in another shuddering breath before continuing.

"Fuck... ' _Thus... from my lips, by thine, my sin is purged._ ' " Jason blinked; he remembered this quote. As heartbroken as it sounded falling from Tim's lips, the scene he'd stolen it from had been soaked with proclamations of love and kisses, and if he remembered correctly, Romeo had earned a response with those words. Jason's heart drummed uncertainly with hope in his chest as he offered Juliet's reply.

" ' _Then have my lips, the sin that they have took_.' " He heard Tim's soft gasp, and suddenly baby blue irises were glued to his, lit up with the same thrill of bright fear that Jason felt. God, what were they  _doing_?

"  _'Sin from thy lips? O trespass sweetly urged!_ " Tim whispered, and Jason was leaning forward, enthralled, pulse pounding, quickening in his ears as he waited for the final meter. Tim's eyes fluttered to a half lidded gaze as he tilted forward, and he finished the quote with a quiet breath.

 _" 'Give me my sin again.'_ " And Jason did. Carefully, this time, but still. The electricity in his veins flowed just as strong when he was kissed Tim this time. Tim melted against him with fervor, and Jason tried to memorize the feel of his lips, and the taste of his tongue when those lips parted for him again. He kissed Tim longingly, cherishing even for as long as Tim would allow. Jason felt Tim cup his jaw, stroking his cheek with his thumb, and he couldn't help but lean into it, even as Tim kissed him back. All too soon, though, Tim sniffed again and pulled back slowly away from him, but his hand lingered against Jason's cheek for a moment longer.

"We can't do that again, can we?" Jason echoed the obvious thoughts flitting through Tim's new, troubled expression. Tim swallowed and nodded affirmatively.

"Can we... I know I'm asking a lot, but can we still be friends?" Tim's small voice questioned guiltily, letting his hand fall away slowly. This time, Jason was the one to bite his lip. Now that everything was out, and they knew how they felt about each other, Jason didn't know  _how_ they could just be friends. But truthfully, the outcome was more than he'd originally hoped for; at least Tim didn't hate him, even if this was an obvious rejection. Still, Jason was either too stupid or too selfish to give Tim up. Especially when the teen was staring up at him with so much silent, pleading hope.

"Maybe...If you think it won't be weird?" he winced. The last thing Jason needed was Tim withdrawing and acting... _differently_ after all was said and done.

"No...I think I can be mature about it if you can," Tim shook his head reassuringly, and Jason exhaled audibly in relief. Good. It made his chest fucking _ache_ , though, knowing that he'd have to watch Tim, forever barred from him, go back to meat head's arms after this. But-

Oh. Wait- What exactly was Tim gonna  _tell_ the guy? Jason  _really_ didn't wanna risk his scholarship again because Kent tried to murder him. One fight last year, and the school board was _up his ass_. Another fight this year, and with their precious star football player? He'd get kicked out so fast, he could wave at all the colleges that might have accepted him as he spiraled back into the streets.

"I'm not gonna get sucker punched by your boyfriend anytime soon, am I?" Jason voiced the sudden thought with a distasteful grimace. Tim, whose gaze had been wandering idly into the back of the driver seat, suddenly bugged out and choked.

"I-" Tim's lips twitched anxiously, and he started fidgeting with that damn ring again. The ring that promised, that  _committed_ him to _someone else_. "I dunno," he mumbled miserably, and Jason's stomach lurched with conflict. He felt awful for doing this to Tim, he really, really did; like he'd said, it was never his intention to fuck anything up for the boy. Still... the black, gnawing jealousy he felt, and the bitter realization that Kent would probably have him jumped as soon as Tim did the right thing and came clean was overwhelming.

"Don't worry about it, okay? Just...do what you think is right." Despite the words contradicting his thoughts, Jason couldn't help but try and comfort the boy, and press a reassuring hand against his shoulder. If it came down to it, whether Tim told or not, Jason could hold his own. And Tim...god, that kiss, just for the few minutes it had lasted... If anything was worth risking a fight, and his whole damn scholarship for, that would be the _one_ thing. He didn't know if Tim felt the same in that regard, though, since his stakes were...well, somewhat different, he reminded himself as he glanced at the accusing gleam of the promise ring.

Tim nodded silently instead of replying, and Jason accepted that as a relative close to the conversation; the curtain falling over their final, intimate moments together. He sighed heavily and swallowed back the emptiness that took its place and settled into his chest.

"I'm gonna go check the car now," Jason stated blankly, reaching toward his pocket for some much needed nicotine. "And maybe just chain smoke the rest of my pack," he added as a half-witted afterthought. He heard Tim snort softly before baby blues were on him again, freezing him in place.

"Will you drive?" Tim asked anxiously, reaching out to instinctively to touch Jason's hand. Jason hesitated the moment their hands brushed, and Tim blushed when he realized, but simply shrugged and held firm. He was trying for casual; trying to not make it weird like they'd promised. But god, it was downright difficult when Jason was feeling so...anything but platonic.

"Yeah," Jason agreed quickly. "Yeah, I figured I would anyway. Give you a break from the snow and all, after...earlier," he muttered, edging slowly toward the door and looping his fingers idly into the handle. His lungs were really starting to burn for that cigarette now that he'd actually thought about it for the first time that whole god damn, stressful day. "Can you make it back to your place from my apartment, or should I drop you off?" Tim paused in thought at the question and shifted in his seat.

"How would you get home though? You can't _walk_ in this," he insisted, cheeks tinting red again in shame. Jason shrugged passively.

"I think I have enough left for a cab," he muttered, and Tim chewed his lip.

"Let me pay for it, then," Tim smiled ever so slightly, and Jason suddenly huffed, rolling his eyes. "Seriously! Don't give me that look, I  _want_ to. It's...the least I could do...you know, to make up for this evening," Tim reasoned further, voice softening again, and Jason groaned.

"You don't owe me anything, Tim," Jason sighed tiredly. How late  _was_ it now? How long had they been...occupied?

"Actually I do, remember? Two hours with Red Bird," Tim countered quickly with a clever little smile, and Jason squinted at the teen unimpressed. "I figured it's another half hour to Gotham, another 15 to my place from the bridge, and then I could pay the cab fare and bring us to an even, say, hour of drive time?"

"You know how to negotiate, I'll give you that. Fine," Jason consented with a sigh, but couldn't suppress a small twitch of his lip when Tim's hopeful smile stretched into a grin. Fuck, he loved that stupid smile. Jason shivered against the bite of sudden cold when he finally did prop the door open, and he'd just stuck a foot down into the snow when Tim called out again.

"Jay?" Jason glanced back curiously wary now, and a shy blush crept back onto Tim's pale cheeks for the umpteenth time. He blinked, and Tim was fidgeting. "Thank you... for everything tonight. Despite what happened with the car and, y'know-" he chuckled awkwardly, and Jason huffed. Yeah, he remembered. "-It was incredible. And...you really are a fantastic kisser," he admitted bashfully, brushing one of his fingers across where Jason's lips had been just minutes before. Jason grinned himself now, unable to prevent the bubble of smug pride from welling up in his belly. When Dick Grayson had said it a week ago, he'd simply shrugged it off because the boy was drunk. But  _Tim_ singing his praises? He'd store that little tid bit for later when he was reliving the heat of the moment alone in his bed room. At least before he relived everything else, too.

"And, er... sorry about the hickey," Tim added with an embarrassed giggle. Jason's eyes widened in sudden surprise before vaulting through the front seats and scrambling to the rear view mirror, where a very prominent, purple bruise was displayed in the reflection. Holy shit. He'd be marked for  _days_ with this, Jason knew, and couldn't help but brush his fingers across it in wonder. Tim...  _marked_ him. Jason wasn't usually a fan of the bruises, given they were just a previous occupational hazard, but with this one... where  _Tim's_ lips had claimed him? Jason found himself hoping that the thing never faded.

"Damn... looks like it was an aggressive doorknob this time," Jason joked, turning slowly but fondly back toward the younger teen. Tim's lips twisted up modestly and he lifted a single shoulder in an apologetic shrug. "Relax, Tim, I don't mind. Really. I... had a great night, too, all things considered," he assured earnestly, voice falling soft towards the end of his sentence. Complicated, for sure...and maybe (probably) something he'd regret later, but for now, it was enough. Tim's answering smile was bittersweet.

"Friends?" Jason extended his hand out amicably. The truce was clear, and Tim nodded a sigh in relief, accepting Jason's offer and clasping his fingers.

"Friends."

Friends... There was still so much more bubbling underneath the surface, so much longing and need, and it  _had_ to be mutual, Jason was almost certain. But for Tim's sake, if this is what Tim wanted, 'Friends' would have to suffice. Jason could live with that.

 


	13. Guilty Pleasure Blues

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tim is a mess, Stephanie comes to the rescue and gives some questionable advice. Gratuitous masturbation also makes an appearance :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy update darlings! Prepare for a whirlwind of internal monologuing, bad logic and also gratuitous masturbation and fantasizing. #guiltypleasure
> 
> This chapter was originally supposed to be a really clever Hamlet rip off with the Hoodie and the Ring, but then Tim would never resolve his anxiety, so I had to scrap it and bring in the big guns (Steph). Not gonna lie, it hasn't been fully revised yet, so if you see grammar, spelling or punctuation fuck ups, just lemme know, alright? (I'm running on stupid levels of sleep deprivation right now, please forgive me). Otherwise, let me know what you think so far, give me fun head canons and juicy plot conspiracies and all that jazz to discuss in the comments. Lots of love, and enjoy!
> 
> Also, since Valentine's Day is coming up, I'd love to write some prompts for you guys, so if you have a request on your favorite Bat pairing and anything to do with romance (pining, breakups, dating, proposals, fluffy feels or just dirty, dirty smut) I'd be happy to take them. Leave anything you can think of in the comments below and I'll do my best to have them out by V-day. <3 <3 <3

_"You'd better be calling to apologize for ghosting me the last couple of hours, Drake,"_ Stephanie's voice chimed deceptively sweet over the line the second she picked up. Tim cringed and grunted none too enthusiastically in response.

A cab had mercifully picked Jason up ten minutes ago, leaving Tim to collapse on his bed in a puddle of sheer, emotional exhaustion. For the first time in a long time, Tim was actually grateful for the sudden solitude. The return journey to Gotham ( _after..._ well, what happened) had been absolutely arduous compared to the original trip, because Tim had been internally screaming the entire time, caught in a vortex of internal conflict that ripped him to shreds. (Jason must have sensed the silent tension despite Tim's frequent, failed attempts at hiding it with small talk, because the older boy, whether indulging Tim's half-hearted distractions or easing into steady, unassuming silence, he always remained selflessly altruistic and empathetic to a fault. In other words, a perfect pillar of whatever kind of support Tim needed at any given moment, making Tim both grateful and _agonized._  Jason deserved so much more, damn it, and Tim desperately wished he could give that to him. But what he wanted...wasn't what he _should_ want. Tim already had so much, already had someone who loved him that he loved in return, so  _why_ was he _like this_?!). Between that, and everything else that had happened that evening, Tim had completely forgotten to check his damn phone.

He wasn't sure how he managed to miss two phone calls and 18 different texts from Stephanie (3 texts from Kon, and one from Mrs. Mac as the proverbial cherry on top), but it was enough to temporarily bolt him out of his spiraling catatonia.

Mrs. Mac was the simplest, letting him know she was done cleaning and heading home for the weekend. And bless her, she'd even left a lasagna to heat up if he was hungry. The housekeeper probably hadn't even expected him to reply, but Tim was so overwhelmingly grateful for her that he shot her a Thank You anyway.

Next was...was Kon. Tim couldn't bring himself to reply to his boyfriend (the boyfriend he'd just  _cheated_ on, he reminded himself sickeningly) quite yet, so he'd skimmed through the messages as painlessly as possible. Funny, he thought, how three of the simplest, sweetest messages felt so incriminating.

_-We won in a landslide! Star City should change its name lol. Wish you were here to see it._

_-I'm staying at Luke's house, so I'll be in Gotham tomorrow if you wanna hang. Love you._

_-Going to sleep. Hope you're having a good night, babe. Miss you._

Tim choked up longer than he'd like to admit after that, and had to drop the phone and smother himself into the pillows to force himself to calm down again. When he did finally have the courage to pick the phone up again, his hands were shaking; he needed to talk to Stephanie. God, he was at a complete, empty loss and he was nauseous and  _scared_. And _guilty_. And a riot of all kinds of shit right now... Despite how angry she was (he didn't even have to look at all 18 spam messages to get the picture), he needed the blonde's advice more than ever.

Which... brought him to her less than cordial greeting. Why did he think it was a good idea to face her wrath right now, again?

"I'm sorry," Tim sniffed past the heavy lump in his throat almost immediately after she reprimanded him. He felt his lower lip quiver sharply against his will, and suddenly he was choking in panic like he was 8 years old again. Stephanie's tone changed instantly.

" _Woah_ , Tim, jesus," her alto voice lilted, and he could just picture her worried frown. Tim could hear her shifting from her own bed then, and the background noise of her television (Tim had barely even registered if before) clicked off. "What the hell happened? I don't have to kill Jason, do I?" A strangled noise escaped him, then, and he scampered to reply.

"No! No, I just- ... _I fucked up_ , Steph," he confessed in a squeak before covering his mouth and trying to steady his breathing. Stephanie sucked in a sharp, audible breath, and the atmosphere tightened around him oppressively as timeless seconds passed.

"Okay," Stephanie exhaled coolly, making Tim picture a bizarre vision of the blonde dragging spectacles from her face that she didn't even wear and squeezing her eyes shut to collect herself. "Okay," she repeated again, "what... did you do? How bad is it?"

Flashbacks of hungry, teal eyes fabricated in front of him, and all he could feel was calloused fingers in his hair again, and phantom lips moving eagerly against his own: The smell of Jason so clean and rich, the little  _sounds_ he made, the faint taste of smoke, all of it just making Tim's heart quicken wantonly again-

Then there was the shock and pain on Jason's face when Tim pulled away... the remorse and acceptance staining the smile that Tim adored, and the selfless treaty of friendship offered after baring their guilt to each other. There was Kon's face floating around there somewhere (ranging in expressions from shock and devastation to outright sneers of disgust), and the urge to wail and throw up from shame. And longing for Jason's protective comfort again (among...other things, he admitted). And shame  _from_ the longing, along with the burning, fiery need for relief from this maelstrom...of some kind of mercy or forgiveness.

How was he supposed to tell that to Stephanie? Where would he even  _start_? There was no guarantee she'd even _understand_ , let alone forgive him for this shit. He clutched instinctively at his chest to quell the cold, gnawing fear, and his stomach lurched when the little promise ring glinted up from his clenched hand. Forget Stephanie, how was he supposed to forgive  _himself_?

"Tim?" the blonde called gently, voice breeching through hell's gates like an angel.

"It's a, er...long story," he finally admitted, trembling as he tried again for some kind of resolve, and swallowed past his constricted throat. "I kissed Jason."

"... _What?!_ " Tim flinched, and spiraled inwardly until he was burying his entire being into the pillows, hoping they would just smother his stupid ass. Stephanie didn't speak, or make any noise, really, for almost a full minute. Tim didn't know whether or not she was simply collecting herself again, or letting him stew on purpose. Probably the former, but he deserved the latter more than he'd like to admit. When she finally did continue, Stephanie's voice was surprisingly gentle. "Alright. Tell me what happened." So he did.

She didn't even interrupt once. He almost wished she would have.

"I'm a horrible fucking p-person," Tim stuttered at the end, choking on hot tears as they fell down his cheeks. He'd started crying sometime in the middle, probably about the time when he got to Jason's feelings for him. He didn't  _know_ , and he'd been so  _floored_ when Jason had confessed. And maybe fallen hopelessly, morbidly in love a little more when Shakespeare fell from Jason's tongue. (He'd kept that whole exchange to himself; he couldn't bear to divulge something quite that special,  _that_ intimate with Jason. Not even to Stephanie.) "I cheated on _Kon_."

"No... you didn't," Stephanie, who'd been totally silent during Tim's confession, sounded stern when she finally burst her long, unnerving silence.

"What?" Tim scoffed wetly in disbelief. "You did hear the part where I  _climbed in Jason's lap_ , right?" he sniffed after a tormented groan.

"Okay, so maybe you thought a little too much with your dick instead of your brain," she consented casually, and Tim gagged, "but listen. The way I see it, Jay had a point about that moment of weakness thing. I mean, you've been crushing on the guy for weeks now, and you were pretty vulnerable after the accident- which, by the way,  _you should have called me about_ ," she broke off to scold suddenly, and Tim emitted a quiet, exasperated squeak.

"It wasn't an accident, it was just some bad  _ice_ ," he defended pathetically, and he could've sworn he heard Stephanie roll her eyes.

"If you had a panic attack, it was still an emergency," she snipped, and Tim grimaced apologetically, even though she couldn't see it. "Seriously, do you know how lucky you are? Honestly? Thank fuck Jason was there," she sighed, slamming Tim right back to the main issue fast enough to give him whiplash.

"You're not...mad?" he swallowed incredulously, and he heard Stephanie snort shortly.

"Oh, no, I'm definitely mad at you... but only because you scared the hell out of me," she admitted, and Tim furrowed his brows together and blinked uncertainly. "As far as the Jason thing?" she paused now, as if considering the taste of the verbal sample of the situation. "Like I said, _you_ were vulnerable, and he was probably vulnerable, too.... Totally called it, by the way, I  _knew_ he had feelings for you! Anyway, given the exact _way_ it happened, the kiss was obviously circumstantial. You both knew better, so you stopped it as soon as you realized what happened. Right? And you both did the right thing afterwards. You handled it pretty maturely, and he seems to be a good sport about it."

"But what do I tell  _Kon_?" Tim interrupted anxiously, fidgeting with the pillow cloth and wiping in agitation at his tear stained cheeks. "He's gonna break  _up_ with me, or- or kill Jason, or make me stop being _friends_ with him," Tim moaned pathetically as something heavy in his chest started to shatter again.

"So maybe don't...tell him anything." Tim froze.

"You're not-...you  _really_ -" Tim stuttered in shock, trying desperately to understand what he'd just heard. "This  _is_ Stephanie Brown right? Or do I have the wrong number?"

"Shut up, Drake," Stephanie scoffed, though a fragment of embarrassment bled through in spite. Tim closed his eyes in another light headed huff of exasperation. "I just think that since you two already handled it, and since its obviously not going to happen again, then... maybe Kon doesn't need the unnecessary heart ache. And maybe Jason could avoid a black eye or two," she reasoned. "No drama when it isn't called for, am I right?"

"You don't think he needs to know?" Tim flexed his fingers out and stared down at the red and blue gleam of the promise ring reluctantly.

"Not really? I mean, I dunno, tell him if you  _want_ , I guess," Stephanie replied with the equivalent of a verbal shrug. Tim closed his fist and whimpered instinctively, and Stephanie hummed knowingly. "That's what I thought."

"Fine," Tim sighed wearily, rolling onto his back and staring at the ceiling. "Fine... I guess- You _really_ think we're doing the right thing?" he questioned one last time, and Stephanie snorted.

"I think you're overthinking it, Tim. You made a mistake, it was handled, lesson learned. Pure and simple. Mama Steph's got your back," she promised, and Tim all but sagged in relief. She made everything so much easier to bear; he'd been so trapped inside his own anguish that he had felt like he was dying inside, but here was his best friend in shining armor to save him from himself. Stephanie was too blunt and righteous to put up with any  of his bull shit, so if she didn't truly believe the problem was already solved, she wouldn't just feed it to him to make him feel better. His best friend had faith in him, and that was comforting beyond measure. Unorthodox as the logic was, maybe Steph was right; she sure seemed confident anyway. If Stephanie believed in him, then surely Tim could handle this. 

"That...makes sense, I guess," he finally consented. Stephanie hummed victoriously and Tim rolled his eyes. "So, 'Mama Steph', huh?" he suddenly mocked, cracking a genuine smile now. "I guess that makes you the designated mom friend. What would I ever do without you?"

"Damn right, kiddo. Without me, you'd spiral into anxiety and watch lousy sitcoms by yourself," she giggled, and Tim laughed.

"Speaking of, how's Friends going again?" he arched an unseen, teasing brow.

"Asshole."

..............................

After they hung up a half hour later, Tim finally returned his boyfriend's texts with as much love and congratulations as he could muster, and of course eagerly agreed to spend the day together tomorrow as well. He wouldn't get a reply, since Kon was probably long asleep, but that was okay. That left Tim newly rejuvenated enough to take a shower and finally get ready for bed. He washed quickly and toweled himself off haphazardly before sliding on a clean pair of boxers and climbing under the covers at last.

It was late now, and he was officially drained and ready for a long, healing sleep. He pressed a passing kiss to the promise ring wrapped around his finger and held it close to his chest as he snuggled up. He waited for sleep to dull his brain and take him, but... the minutes ticked by, and it never came.

Something was keeping him up; something hidden underneath his pillow that belonged to a certain poetic smoker; something in the form of a soft, red hoodie shining its beacon in his thoughts and whispering his name like a siren. Tim twitched on his side and sighed, reaching underneath his pillow and slowly pulling the cloth out to press against his cheek.

The scent- _Jason's_ scent was still there, even after a week, and it wafted into his lungs like the nicotine staining the sleeves from the many cigarettes that Jason had inhaled.

He shouldn't even have this anymore, Tim knew; should have already given it back, but here it was. And just hours after Tim had slipped and kissed its owner, too, as if Tim needed another testament to remind him. Tim's belly coiled guiltily, and he closed his eyes, suppressing a shiver. The memory was still raw and fresh enough to last a lifetime, but for some reason he couldn't help nuzzling the damn hoodie against his face, breathing in Jason's aroma; just for a second, he could almost feel the weight of protective arms again, and the soothing caress against his back.

"Oh, Jay," Tim sighed, rolling onto his back and letting the red fabric stretch over his bare shoulders. He really shouldn't be doing this- surrounding himself with Jason, thinking about it again. About that smile stretching across his face, and teal eyes full of defiance and promise; the same eyes that softened with want when they were looking down at him earlier...the same lips that had pressed against his own with such relish and hunger. Tim swallowed and couldn't help tracing his fingers where Jason's had cupped his jaw, stroking along and up the path Jason had used until his fingers were threading up into his damp hair. Tim shivered now, knowing he should stop this before-...before...

He tightened his hand into a light fist, tugging gently against his scalp like Jason had done before, and a small moan escaped before he could think to stop it. His body was responding to the memory, now, and he cursed himself as a longing, guilty flush crept across his pale skin. Tim  _really_ shouldn't allow himself to close his eyes like this, or to picture Jason in the back seat, all breathy and nestled between his legs.  Tim groaned, hips arching up under the rough, phantom grips against his hips. God, those  _hands_... Jason's calloused, talented hands had grazed over him deliciously, leaving goosebumps of pleasure that had Tim swooning under his touch alone. That wasn't including the satin of Jason's lips, or the liquid silken talent of his  _tongue_.  Tim finally heaved a sigh of surrender at his body's persistent interest, and succumbed to the fantasy completely.

Jason would pick up where he'd left off, dipping his fingers under the hem of Tim's shirt and pushing it off with practiced expertise. Tim hummed, tracing a teasing, feather light trail down his own chest like he imagined Jason might do. He paused, of course, in turn to tweak each sensitive nipple, shivering with delight at the contact when he pictured Jason's mouth nipping and sucking there instead. His cock pulsed happily at that little thought, and Tim used his free hand to palm himself obligingly.

He grunted eagerly against the friction, and skirted his boxers down to rest just under his ass as he took himself in hand. He imagined pulling Jason's boxers off, too, slowly and carefully like unveiling the perfect present. And it would be fucking  _gorgeous_ , too, Tim knew, stroking himself as his mouth watered. He'd felt just how prominent Jason's erection was in the car, he  _knew_ Jason was packing at least 6 inches.

Would he be cut or uncut, Tim wondered, and would he be clean shaved or gorgeously 'scaped? God, Tim wanted to taste it- he blushed just thinking it, but his cock throbbed with enthusiasm and he squeezed himself with a shudder. Yeah, he wanted to feel Jason's thick, weighted cock pressing on his tongue, to feel the slide of it, tasting the heady flavor of musk (he snatched the hoodie around his shoulders and inhaled desperately to perpetuate his scent) and feeling Jason's fingers curling tight in his hair, guiding him in and setting the pace-

"Jesus-" Tim gasped at his own imagination; he was literally fantasizing about Jason fucking his _face_. 

And Jason would be so gentle at first, muscles tense with sweat and restraint until Tim was whimpering and pleading for more through a mouthful of Jason's member. He wondered if Jason would cry out with pleasure when he finally gave in, or if he'd grip Tim's jaw all breathy and just fucking pump him.

Tim was close now, he could feel himself start to tighten behind his crotch, and he whined.

Would Jason pull out and stroke himself to completion, painting Tim's face and with white streaks? Oh, that was a delicious image.

Or would he just...cum in Tim's mouth? Down his throat, onto his tongue, smearing across his lips- A choked moan escaped at the thought, and he was spilling so hard that he threw his head back and nearly blacked out right there.

Fucking  _hell_. He'd never come  _that_ hard before...not even for-

No. No, he couldn't think of the K-word right now. Not when he'd just gotten off to a fantasy of  _Jason_. He shivered with guilt as the pools of semen across his belly began to cool, and tried to quiet his panting and breakneck pulse as he snatched a few tissues from his bedside table.

One would think he'd learned a lesson from the whole Jason thing earlier, yet here he was, jerking it because the boy was  _still_ in his head. Maybe Tim just needed to get Jason out of his system or something... Yeah. Yeah, that made sense. It was just a fantasy from pent up emotions earlier, after all. Tim was still in control here, he decided, fixing his boxers and tossing the dirty tissues into the waste basket. This wasn't any different than a pipe dream or something...right? Totally harmless.

At least, that's what he told himself as he snuggled back under his covers. He hesitated when his fingers wrapped around the hoodie again, and contemplated for a moment before cradling it close and wrapping himself in the smell of Jason again.

He just needed to get it out of his system for tonight.

With his body satiated and his brain depleted of its last bit of energy, sleep finally carried Tim off at last into teal seas with a smoky whisper of Shakespeare in his ears.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a PSA, Timothy Jackson Drake is obviously in denial, okay? Can we all agree Tim is a mess of anxiety? Someone please teach this poor baby some healthy coping mechanisms before he cracks **glares at Stephanie for her bad logic**
> 
> Also, some things to look forward to in the next few chapters: Tim overcompensating with Kon, jealous!Jason, studying shenanigans, PINING, suspicious!Steph and more.
> 
> P.S. don't forget to leave your Valentine's Day prompts if you're interested ;) <3


	14. Pining is Overrated

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lunchtime shenanigans, Jason dealing with feelings, and "Friends" references galore!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I know the update took the better part of 6 weeks, but I was going through some personal stuff as well as dealing with some heavy writer's block. But I've got a game plan and several outlines already drawn up, so regular updates should become a thing again, don't worry!
> 
> Hope you guys enjoy slowburn pining hell below :)
> 
> Also, for reference, this is like within the week after the date. Maybe like that next Thursday, I'm thinking, if you're still keeping up with the timeline, so the boys have had a few days to adjust but it's still in that initial awkward period, ya feel me?
> 
> P.S. This chapter's only been revised once, and its like 6 am for me as I'm finishing this, so if there are errors please let me know and I'll revise it again into its final form later. I was just so excited to get this posted after so long, please forgive me

If there was anything Jason learned over the next week, it was that pining, requited or not, was so fucking overrated. He'd never been a fan of forbidden passion or secret romances; Lancelot and Guinevere were cheating traitors, Antony and Cleopatra were both hung up on Caesar, and god forbid Romeo and Juliet do anything but bellyache about how much they wanna boink before killing half a dozen people. (Don't even get him started on Paris and Helen, good god). Jason loathed all of those stories, but it had been a pure, cynical kind of hatred before.  _After_ , however, now that he'd kissed Tim Drake? Hell. The ache in his chest that erupted when Tim slid into the desk next to him in English every day, or the painful longing he felt every time Tim smiled at him made him die a little inside. He still scoffed at the notorious, forbidden lovers, but now, damn it all, he at least - _ugh-_ understood them.

Bad as it was, Jason still kept his word and remained Tim's friend. Even if Tim's beefy dolt of a boyfriend always had his arm draped around Tim like a damn snake and scowled down his nose at Jason across the lunch table they now shared together every day. (Yeah, it had been a real kicker when Tim had approached Jason after class on Monday and asked him to join at lunch all shy and cute. Jason told himself it was in the name of growing their friendship when he'd agreed, but in reality he was just a damn sucker for those baby blue eyes. So of course, that's how he ended up sacrificing his secret smoke break during lunches every day and sitting with Tim, Stephanie, Dick, Babs and Kent instead. And actually? Putting up with the quarterback's beady eyes aside, lunches weren't actually that bad. In fact, Jason actually kind of... enjoyed them.

"Oh my god, you should have seen his face when Rachel kissed Ross, he was all like  _aweeee,_ " Stephanie grinned animatedly to the group as she recounted Jason's reaction to the sitcom they'd been binging for the last three of Jason's days off after school. Yeah, he was a sucker, but unlike the forbidden, fatal romances, he  _was_ a fan of sweet gestures like Ross offering to take an (almost) stood up Rachel to prom. Stephanie had given him no small amount of hell for sympathizing with Ross just that once, but he kind of liked Ross and Rachel. Sue him.

" _Awe_ ," Barbara and Dick both melted ( _squeed,_ in Dick's case) in unison. Jason snorted quietly into his chocolate milk as Dick practically bounced in the seat beside him."

"Poor thing! How do you think he'll react to the the break-"

"Dick, shut up! Spoilers!" Tim gasped from across the table as Stephanie shot the elder cheerleader a murderous look, but it was too late. Jason's eyes popped in alarm and disappointment at Dick's outburst.

"They break up, then?" he frowned, setting his milk down and staring at Dick as he flushed guiltily. Stephanie scowled from his other side, and Barbara rolled her eyes across from Dick with an exasperated sigh.

"Yeah, and it's... pretty messy," Tim dared to explain when everyone else remained silent. Jason turned toward the younger curiously, not recognizing the pointedly awkward wince on Tim's face  until it was too late.

"What happened?" Jason questioned innocently enough. Tim suddenly couldn't meet his eyes, choosing instead to prod at his mashed potatoes as Stephanie quickly cut in, as if the answer weren't already made obvious.

 "He cheated," she murmured curtly, nudging him ever so slightly with her knee under the table. Yeah, yeah, Jason got the message.

Yikes. Jason didn't outwardly cringe, but god damn did he want to slam his head into the table right about then. It was a damn wonder Kent didn't catch onto the blatant subtext, but Jason never pegged the guy as overly bright anyway. (Jason hadn't had the courage to ask before, mostly just thankful to his lucky stars that Lughead, or Stephanie for that matter, hadn't immediately bashed his head in Monday morning, but by now it was obvious Tim hadn't told him anything. Stephanie obviously knew, he figured, but if Kon did, the guy would already have been on him like a damn blood hound. Despite the relief, the silence of it also made his stomach lurch for some reason. It also made situations like these...well, even more unnecessarily complicated.) Jason cringed and bit back a groan, instantly sorry for even asking, but its not like he  _knew_.

"It's okay, though! It's not like they don't stay friends," Dick reassured him with an oblivious pat on Jason's arm. The irony of it, as well as the unexpected, innocent segue from his inner monologue was so bizarre that Jason couldn't help but burst out a huff of exasperated laughter. He caught Tim biting back a grin, too, and Stephanie snorted fondly beside him, shaking her blonde head all the while.

"That actually seems more awkward, somehow," Jason rolled his eyes, pushing his tray away, thankful he finished his food already before suddenly losing his appetite.

"I kind of agree," Kon (not Tim), to Jason's shock, piped up. Everyone turned their heads in surprise, Tim perhaps a little pale at the guy's admission, and Jason cringing inwardly at the fucking irony again as he fought back a scowl.

"Really?" the younger boy twisted under Kon's arm and quirked a brow up quietly.

"Well, yeah," Kon shrugged his large shoulders nonchalantly. "I mean, I can't imagine being friends with any of my exes. Too complicated and messy, and too much room to fuck each other up. Would you still wanna be friends with one of your bitter ex-boyfriends?" Kon insisted, and Tim bit his lip. Jason grimaced; he had to admit, much as he resented the guy, that he had a point.

"I'm friends with some of my exes," Dick frowned, earning a chuff from both Kon and Barbara.

"You still hook up with half of them, too," Barbara accused, prodding a finger into Dick's chest, who flushed guiltily.

"I'm a single man and I have needs, okay? There's nothing wrong with occasional, casual sex," he pouted, crossing his arms. Jason gave Dick a sympathy chuckle and a nod of agreement, and the senior beamed at him appreciatively. "Besides," he added suddenly with a wink back towards Barbara, "If you want me to yourself, all you have to do is say so." It was the red head's turn to blush, now.

"In your dreams, Wonderboy."

"See, that's great and all, but its still your  _ex_ ," Kon insisted, interrupting the painful flirting and earning the attention of the table back. "Don't you ever worry that it'll get complicated, you know, with feelings potentially coming back and getting all mixed in?"

"But you're friends with some of your ex-girlfriends," Tim frowned suddenly, and Jason quirked a brow in interest. "We still hang out with Cassie all the time, and you still text Megan," the sophomore insisted. Jason smirked and shifted forward to listen, but Stephanie caught him and gave him a swift, subtle kick under the table.

"I didn't know you dated Cassie," Dick chimed in, leaning forward eagerly for the juicy new gossip. Jason shot Stephanie a pointed look as if to say  _See? I'm not the only one being obnoxious_. Her brown eyes rolled so hard, Jason could see the whites of her eyes.

"Guys, Cassie's more like a sister to me," Kon raised his hands, finally lifting his heavy arm off Tim's narrow shoulders in self defense. God, Jason wished he had popcorn.

"And Megan?" Stephanie was in on it now, and Jason wanted to snicker at her for her own self-betrayal. "You dated her for like, two years," she insisted, and Jason nearly reeled. Holy hypocrisy, dude. Tim was staring at the guy expectantly now, and Jason was having the time of his life watching the guy struggle for words.

"Meg and I ended on good terms, it was mutual," Kon replied hastily. "She's happy in San Fransisco, and I'm happy _for_ her. Besides, I never would have found Tim if she hadn't gone to college, anyway," the bastard smiled, souring Jason's fun as he managed the triumphant comeback. Tim swooned happily at Kent's sappy smile, and Jason leaned back in disappointment as the happy couple laced their fingers together. This time, the nudge Stephanie sent him under the table was sympathetic rather than stern. It didn't make him feel better.

"See, you  _can_ be friends with your exes," Dick smiled triumphantly, particularly towards Barbara. "And there doesn't even need to be sex involved, it can be perfectly healthy without."

"Like you would know, you nympho," Barbara chortled, and Dick honest to god whimpered. Jason snickered this time, and both Babs and Dick turned towards him as one. "What do you think Jason?" she asked earnestly, and Dick's eyes went wide, pleading all of a sudden, begging Jason to throw him a bone. Stephanie and Tim both leaned forward as Jason instinctively chewed his lip. Kon- well, Kon grimaced and cooled his expression less than subtly as attention shifted towards the junior. _Fucking priss_ , Jason thought.

"About Dick's obvious sex addiction, or the ex thing?" Jason joked, earning a collective laugh from most the table.

"Come _on_ , tell us," Babs insisted, ginger hair spilling over her shoulder as she adjusted her glasses. Jason shrugged and glanced down at the table.

"I wouldn't know," he admitted, chewing on the inside of his cheek. "I've never had a serious relationship. I dated a girl in 8th grade, but I barely knew her. It only lasted like a week, too, so you're barking up the wrong tree." If he weren't prepared for the gapes of shock, he might have cringed. Tim alone was staring at him in such surprise that Jason could already feel an uncomfortable flush creeping up his cheeks. So maybe that was something he didn't mention during their little game before, but...all the questions had been about  _sex_ , to be fair, and that just wasn't the same. Especially not when he felt the way he did about Tim, but that had become irrelevant the moment they kissed anyway, so. Yeah.

"Wow, no way?" Barbara blinked in awe, and Jason shrugged.

"How come?" This time it was Tim's voice that had Jason whipping his head back to stare into those earnest baby blues. The boy looked suddenly timid and sheepish, like he was surprised at his own self for even asking. Jason swallowed thickly when the usual ache constricted in his chest at the sight, but he simply grunted and shrugged again. Jason knew the real reason, of course, was that there just wasn't any real reason; he just wasn't a social creature, and being a recluse and an outcast in a rich school meant he didn't get a lot of dating opportunities. Not that he was looking for them, or even really cared about them before with his grades, his home, and his mom to constantly worry about. That wasn't exactly the sexiest answer, but that was just how it was. Or...had been, at least. The last few weeks had graced Jason with people and opportunities he hadn't had before. Huh. Who knew having friends and a decent job could open up so many possibilities?

"Possibly because before a certain, stubborn midget dared to say hi, most people found me about as approachable as a serial killer," Jason snorted in response, and Tim grinned, both proud and oddly sheepish at the same time. Jason beamed back like a sap, and there was Stephanie nudging him pointedly again. The message was fairly clear;  _Keep your googoo eyes to yourself or you're gonna get in trouble, Casanova_.

"I'm not a midget," Tim muttered indignantly behind his grin, and Jason rolled his eyes. That was when he caught Kon sneering down at him again, this time in clear distaste. Jason twisted his expression to match as the guy purposefully wrapped his arm around Tim and pulled him close. Jason fought back a grimace; even if the dolt  _had_ just caught Jason flirting with his boyfriend, it still got under Jason's skin for the prick to literally  _look down_ on him and  _taunt_ him. But Tim didn't seem to notice, and seemed happy enough where he was, so for the guy's sake, despite his bruised ego, Jason bit himself back. At least until the the brute decided to speak.

"Maybe you should ask someone out, Todd," Kon suggested friendly enough, but the smile on his face was tight and didn't reach his beady blue eyes. "You'd be surprised how fun being in love can be; look at me and Tim, for example. Is there anyone you might be interested in?"

Condescending little-  _fuck_. Jason grit his teeth as the prick fixed him with a haughty, challenging gaze. He heard Stephanie suck in a breath beside him, and Tim's eyes went wide with embarrassment underneath Kon's arm. Jason's blood was boiling; oh, if that dolt only knew how much _fun_ he'd had with Tim in his back seat just days before. If he only knew the sounds Tim made when he was squirming in Jason's _lap_ , or just who gave him the faded hickey hidden underneath the band-aid on his neck.

"There's this one guy I went out with recently that I had some fun with," Jason replied coolly in response. Kon quirked a bold brow, and Tim not only went rigid at the words, but Jason noticed he'd actually stopped _breathing_. God damn it, now Jason really wanted to kick himself. He flashed his eyes apologetically to Tim's before sighing softly and desperately trying to cool his fucking temper before he could deck the quarterback in his smug face. He couldn't throw Tim under the bus just for some cheap satisfaction; not when it would seriously hurt him, and definitely cost their friendship. "I don't think anything serious will come of it, though... so I'll just keep my eye out for now," Jason added quickly in resignation. To Jason's comfort, Tim's shoulders visibly relaxed as he finally sucked in another breath. Stephanie even let out a small sigh of relief beside him, too, before thinning her lips and giving a pointed pinch to Jason's leg for the trouble he almost caused. 

"Well...Let me know if you want me to set you up with someone. I know a few people who might be interested," Kon offered, and Jason, still stoically ignoring the sting of the pinch, managed to keep a careful poker face at the sudden bubble of indignance. But there was Tim's eyes on him again, staring up at him with laser focus from suddenly unreadable depths.

"Yeah. Sure thing," Jason muttered distractedly before quickly tearing his eyes away from Tim.

"Hey, you could always hook up with a friend and end up together that way, like Chandler and Monica," Dick teased suddenly, thankfully dispelling the tension in his innocence. Or tact, one of the two. Either way, Jason's mouth suddenly fell open when he realized Dick's actual words, and then Stephanie was up swatting at the cheerleader ferociously as Tim squawked.

"Dick,  _spoilers!_ "

 

.....

 

After lunch finally ended, Jason dutifully threw his tray away, but not before the sound of hurried footsteps pattered up behind him. Jason tensed and turned quickly, but relaxed and quirked a brow as none other than Dick Grayson drew up beside him, trademark smile plastered on his face.

"Hey, Jay, can I talk to you for a sec?" he chirped shyly (which was odd for _Dick Grayson_ ), and Jason blinked and nodded as they made their way toward the cafe exit.

"Sure, what's up?"

"So... I didn't wanna put you on the spot earlier, so I thought I'd ask you now. Would you... maybe wanna go out with me this Saturday? I was thinking skating or something, nothing too intense," he blabbered hopefully, and Jason was taken aback.

"Don't you kind of have a thing with Barbara?" Jason questioned uncertainly. Dick's bright, hopeful expression flickered somewhat as he gave a half hearted shrug.

"I  know, it's not exactly a secret that I like her or anything, but I think she's getting tired of me harassing her," Dick admitted behind a meek smile that didn't quite fool Jason. "I like you too, though," the cheerleader suddenly brightened back up, reclaiming that impossible enthusiasm that made Jason break into an involuntary, flattered smile. "You were fun to hang with at my party, and I always like talking to you at lunch, so I thought I'd ask. No pressure or anything, though. I know you have a thing for Tim, so we can just go as friends if you want."

"You- _wait_ ," Jason gasped, footsteps faltering into a startled stumble as Dick blinked back. "Did Steph tell you?" Jason berated him anxiously before frowning and huffing out an exasperated laugh when he considered just how desperate he sounded right then. _Suave, Todd_...if that was any hint to how subtle he really was about the whole situation, then it wouldn't take a blonde to rat him out. "Actually, I guess it's just that obvious, huh?"

"The last one, yeah," Dick chuckled sympathetically, confirming Jason's suspicions. "Relax, if it's supposed to be a secret, its safe with me," the senior promised earnestly, offering a sympathetic pat on Jason's arm. "Take it from me, though, pining after someone in a relationship is always messy and painful... and not usually worth it," Dick murmured, warning him amicably enough, but the quiet line of truth clawed into Jason's chest painfully.

"Yeah...I know," Jason nodded solemnly, falling into a hesitant silence. Dick pulled away with a kind expression, not seeming to mind Jason's sudden awkwardness, which kind of made Jason utterly uncertain on what to do.

"Listen, if you need some time to think it over, take as much as you need, okay? If you don't wanna go, or just wanna do the friend thing, I'm good with that, too. Just let me know alright?" he offered brightly, and Jason nodded gratefully. "Anyway, this is my stop. Gotta go, or I'm gonna be late for Calc. See you later, Jay," Dick waved with a warm smile at last as he veered off down the Math hall. Jason watched him go for a moment, chewing on his lip before he blew out a long, exasperated sigh.

Jesus, that was-...

" _Jason!"_

Before he could even begin to think about what exactly that was, though, he heard another voice. This time, though, thanks to either rotten or extraordinary luck, it was none other than Tim himself. Uh oh... oh, god, he knew what this was probably about. He didn't know if he had the resolve to face it right now, either, if he was honest. Jason halted nonetheless, wincing silently and praying to whatever gods that Tim wasn't actually about to chew him out for being an ass, even if he did deserve it.

"Jay, hang on, wait up!" Tim panted, catching up with him finally as Jason turned to look at him.

"Hey," Jason murmured modestly, swallowing his anxiety best he could despite his quickening pulse. 

"Hey...can we talk?" Tim gestured not so subtly towards a relatively empty hallway. Jason hesitated, not wanting to risk a tardy, but Tim looked insistent. "It won't take long, I promise. I just... I'm sorry you had to put up with that today," Tim began, honestly catching Jason off guard as they took refuge in the quiet hall.

"Er-"

"I know you must have been uncomfortable with Kon badgering you like that, but he doesn't mean it to be rude. He doesn't know about-...y'know," Tim's voice trailed off as his cheeks pinkened. Jason deadpanned in annoyance; yeah _right_ , Kent didn't mean to be rude. In the full know or not, he was pea cocking about Tim on purpose because he, at the very least, suspected Jason. He was  _right_  of course, but still...

"Yeah, I figured as much," Jason grumbled, turning to head off again, before Tim called out to him again.

"Wait, don't-," the sophomore hesitated, and Jason paused again. "I also...wanted to thank you...for not telling him about, you know,  _us_ ," Tim was more than just pink now; more like a full, rosy red as he fidgeted his fingers together. Jason's chest constricted oddly, and he grimaced.

"If you didn't tell him, why would I?" he shrugged back uncomfortably.

"Well, I... thought you were going to for a minute there," Tim mumbled quietly, hiding behind his shoulders and wincing at the floor. "I was _terrified_ , I mean you mentioned... _having fun_ with me last weekend-" the way Tim's face twisted as the words fell from his lips, and Jason groaned, scrubbing his hands across his face. Yeah, that had been pretty stupid on his part. "I thought I was done for, and that you'd-" he cut himself off, clearly uncomfortable, and Jason huffed.

"I wanted to... at first," Jason admitted reluctantly, and Tim glowered. "But you know I'd never do that to you, right?"

"I _know_ , that's not the issue," Tim frowned in frustration, and Jason recoiled in confusion.

"Nearly ratting you out's not the issue?" he repeated, flabbergasted.

"No, it's just... I was more than just  _fun_ for you, wasn't I?" Tim's expression was hesitant and almost desperate, and then Jason understood. Fucking hell. Tim was feeling...  _insecure?_ About _Jason_?

"Tim, of  _course_ ," Jason stepped closer, nearly reaching out before remembering they probably shouldn't touch, even if he did just want to reassure the kid. "Look, I meant every word I said that night. I was being an asshole today, okay? I don't know why, I guess I just... it's because-... _because I'm_ -" Jason cursed himself for it, but he had to admit it sometime. "Jealous, alright? Kent had his hands all over you and was being a prick, and I got pissy. I'm so,  _so_ sorry if I hurt you or made you feel scared or cheap, Tim. Honest." Tim seemed to relax at his words, and Jason sighed in relief.

"Okay," Tim nodded, reassured. "Okay, I...thank you," he smiled up, and god damn it, Jason's heart panged again as he simpered back. "I just...have one more thing," Tim continued, this time sounding extremely reluctant. Jason frowned and tilted his head in concern.

"I think Kon was right."

Jason's blood ran cold, and his stomach lurched once, then disappeared entirely.

" _What_?"

"Hear me out, okay?" Tim squeaked. "I just think...maybe if you did date someone, it might help us, y'know...move on. Both of us," Tim explained sheepishly, with a pained look from his baby blue eyes. Jason grimaced uncomfortably, and Tim swallowed as dead silence stretched between them.

"Tim, I-" he could truthfully see the logic in it. And maybe being with someone else _would_ ease the torture of pining and longing for Tim like a tragic, forlorn lover. On one hand, it  _sucked_ , and meant he'd have to face the reality that he and Tim would never actually be together. That Tim... would move on, and he'd lose that chance forever. But it also meant he could move on, too. Eventually, anyway, even if he didn't want to. In his head, he knew it was the smart choice; the _only_ choice, really. And he actually had the opportunity, too. This had to be a sign from the universe, right? Besides, he never wanted to be like Romeo, anyway.

"Alright," he agreed, and Tim's answering smile was as hollow and conflicted as Jason felt. "I think it's worth a try."

"Good," Tim breathed, falling silent for a moment before plastering a tight smile on his face and changing the subject. "You still coming with us to the game on Friday?" he asked hopefully, and Jason nodded. "Good. I'm gonna crash at Stephanie's afterwards. She wants to know if you wanna come too, and make it another marathon night?"

"You sure about that?" Jason furrowed his brows together hesitantly. The last thing they needed was to sleep in close proximity to each other and drown, or god forbid, give in to sexual tension. Tim, however, actually nodded back with surprising confidence.

"Absolutely. You know she'll keep us in check, if nothing else," Tim assured, and Jason snorted in amusement.

"Fair enough. Blondie rules with an iron fist," he chuckled humorously. "Yeah, I'll come. Can you give me a ride to work the next morning, though?"

"Of course! What time?"

They made their plans and parted ways with genuine, though still somewhat strained smiles on their faces. It was nice, though, and gave Jason hope that maybe this would get easier for them. Now all he had to do was find Dick after class and take him up on that date, and try to move on like Tim said.

Jesus... it was going to be a busy weekend.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Baha! Sudden, unexpected Jaydick! How do you think the date will go? How do you think Jaytim will be able to handle the sleepover? And was Kon too much of a dick in this chapter? Let me know what you guys think! Lots of love <3


	15. T.G.I.F....?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Friday night's arrived again, and just getting started. Pre-sleepover, Tim-centric, mostly just shenanigans at/just before the football game.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TGIF part 1/2, Jason's view to come later at the sleepover. Enjoy my lovelies <3
> 
> Also, fun fact, I've decided I want to start taking requests again to get my creative juices flowing a little bit. If you guys have any prompts or requests of any kind, hit me with 'em and I'll maybe do a lil somethin' somethin' with 'em :)

"Y'know, I'm just saying, I  _really_ missed my radio. More specifically, my aux cord, but whatever. Semantics. Point is, my baby's fixed and I am _happy_ ," Tim jabbered from his seat on the locker room bench. Kon, who was in the midst of getting ready for the oncoming game, snorted indulgently as he shucked off his school polo and threw it into his locker.

"I bet. Lesson learned, then?" came his boyfriend's smooth, cheeky reply as he rifled through his duffle bag. Tim arched an unimpressed brow.

" _Lesson_?" he scoffed back mildly, shaking his head. Kon's lips pulled back into a smirk, quirking his own brow as he glanced down toward Tim.

"Surely you learned  _something_ after being robbed." Kon's tone was teasing, but the thin press of his lips made Tim frown in his seat. He considered the taller boy for a moment, watching disgruntled as Kon busied himself with opening his duffle bag of equipment.

"Burgled," Tim  corrected after a moment, smirking in satisfaction when Kon stopped to roll his eyes. "And if you're trying to give me a lecture two weeks later, please spare me. Never drinking again, lesson learned," Tim added, crossing his arms and shaking his head.

"Tim, that's not-" Kon started with a frowned. The expression would have been comical -stern face directly juxtopositioned to the nakedness covered only by a single jock strap and undershirt-, but Tim sobered quickly when he realized where this was going. Of _course_ Kon would still blame Jason, Tim realized with a subtle but defensive twitch of his lips. No matter how many times Tim had reasoned otherwise, Kon would always be suspicious at heart. Then, however, Kon sighed and shook his head dismissively. "Nevermind. At least your car is fixed, that's all that matters," he conceded finally. Tim relaxed his shoulders in relief.

"Yeah. No harm, no foul," Tim agreed as Kon turned and reached into his locker to pull out his shoulder pads. Tim, despite the slowly dispersing unease, tilted his head appreciatively and admired the view.

"Nice ass," he complimented, genuinely admiring the smooth curve of the flesh underneath the confines of the straps. Kon looked back toward him now, his old frown replaced with something akin to amusement.

"Oh, yeah?" Kon chuckled coyly.

"Oh, definitely," Tim grinned, leaning back on his palms as he took in the view. God, he loved the way his back dipped into the perfect sculpt of round muscles, and how his toned hips accented the curve into his thighs. "The things I wanna do to it are too sinful to speak aloud," Tim joked earnestly, only half trying not to imagine groping the firm flesh or maybe using his tongue-

"The things  _you_ wanna do to  _my_ ass?" Kon suddenly snorted, and the tantalizing vision suddenly vanished with an imaginary  _pop_ as Tim blinked himself back into reality.

"Yeah?" Tim's voice trembled shyly with laughter. He didn't talk dirty very often, so he couldn't blame Kon for being surprised. Hell, he was kind of surprised himself at his own boldness. But then, he was kind of peaking on the horniness scale lately, so. Damn hormones. But then, something in Kon's expression -or maybe it was the roll of his eyes- made Tim furrow his brows. The hungry flash of arousal Tim had been hoping for was there, but so was a strange smirk that Tim hadn't seen before.

"I don't think so, babe. I'd rather play with your sweet ass, if you're offering," his boyfriend laughed lightly. Tim squirmed with both heat playing in his loins and also a tiny, prickling unease.

"Aw, I can't play with yours?" Tim tried to tease back nervously. Uncertainty, as well as any semblance of arousal, quickly morphed into disappointment, however, when Kon shook his head.

"I'm not the bottom, babe," Kon shrugged, still teasing obliviously as Tim's frown deepened. "I thought that was more of your thing."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Tim blanched suddenly, and Kon's smile finally slipped when he finally registered Tim's growing distress.

"Er..." but Kon was frozen now, and couldn't seem to come up with anything clever to say. Not quickly, at least. "I...just never pictured you... as a top?" he explained, tripping over his own words uncomfortably. Tim stilled in shock, not quite sure if he should feel like he'd just been slapped or not.

"Not that there's anything wrong with that, it's just-...I didn't know that's something you wanted," Kon cut back in quickly before Tim had time to respond. Tim's gut twisted in his belly, and he couldn't help but make a face and shrug helplessly as he clamored for words.

"I guess we never really talked about it, huh?" Tim reasoned glumly.

"Not really, I guess," Kon chuffed in exasperation. "I-...sorry. We probably should have, huh?" Tim shrugged in response, and Kon sighed.

"So...are you a top, then?"

Tim glanced back up at his boyfriend and tried very hard not to feel offended at the grimace painted on Kon's features. He didn't realize Kon was so opposed to the idea.

"No? Maybe, I don't know," Tim sighed frustratedly. He liked to use his fingers when he let himself fantasize now and then, but he'd never strictly set his mind to one scenario or the other. "It'd be nice to at least have the _option_ , though... You'd never _try_ to bottom?" Tim winced at himself when he realized how pathetic he sounded. Kon sighed heavily and sank down onto the bench beside Tim with a conflicted countenance.

"I don't know," he shrugged quietly. "I mean, I like having sex a certain way, I don't know if I'd-" he trailed off uncomfortably when he caught Tim's involuntary, sullen snort. Kon liked having sex with  _girls_ , is what he was saying. Tim already knew that. Did he want to have sex with Tim like he was a girl, too? The thought made something in his belly twist and churn.

"You knew I had a dick when you asked me out, right?" Tim suddenly snapped sourly. Kon recoiled, and Tim tore his eyes away both because he was angry now, and because he maybe felt a tad guilty throwing out that accusation.

Kon didn't answer right away, and Tim didn't dare look at the boy's face, yet. God, the longer the silence stretched, the more Tim wanted to throw up; did he hurt Kon that much? Or was Kon too angry at him to talk? Finally, Tim heard a frustrated grunt and the sound of something being kicked across the floor. The shoulder gear, Tim saw as it slid over the tiles and into the lockers.

"Of course I _knew_ , Tim. I've had it in my  _mouth_ more times than I can count, and I didn't exactly hate it, if you recall," Kon fired back pointedly. Tim cringed now, cursing himself and curling his arms in guiltily. "I want to have sex with you, cock and all, I promise. I just...don't know if I'd be comfortable, y'know... _taking_ it," he insinuated eloquently, voice quieting towards the end until it was almost a whisper. The modest squirming would have made Tim chuckle, if he weren't so bogged down with conflicted shame.

"I'm sorry," Tim confessed after a minute, turning back toward his boyfriend meekly. Kon's shoulders were still taught with tension, but at least the severity of the anger and hurt on his face waned a little bit. "I shouldn't have said that, I was insecure-" he scrambled helplessly. Yeah... he'd been insecure a  _lot_ lately. He was beginning to loathe the feeling, and couldn't quite understand where the hell it was coming from. He sighed, though, and settled to tightening his arms around himself for some kind of comfort. "You've been more than patient with me about waiting until I'm comfortable, and now here I am being a god damn hypocrite and bitching at you for the _same thing_ ," Tim nearly wanted to burst into laughter at the irony of it, but he didn't have the energy to even muster a sigh.

"I forgot that you're still as new at sex with guys as I am," Tim reasoned, mostly to himself, but he could see actual relief start to spread on Kon's face.

"Yeah...I'm kind of lost, short of jerking it to twink porn and messing around with you," Kon managed a low chuckle, and Tim snorted beside him. Then a sudden thought occurred, and Tim knitted his brows together again; forget porn, he'd messed around with more than just Kon. And...rather recently, he noted, trying not to remember teal eyes in the back of his car. Jason aside, though...that meant that for the first time in his life, he was sexually more experienced than his partner. He owed it to Kon not only to be patient, but to guide him through all the first times, whenever those might be, whether that included Kon bottoming for him or not.

"You okay?" Tim snapped back to earth at the sound of Kon's concerned voice and smiled sheepishly. "You spaced out on me. You're not mad about the twink thing, are you?" The question was so bizarre to Tim after his own seriousness that he couldn't help but sputter laughter.

"No, Kon, I- god," Tim let his reddening face fall into one hand before leaning over and planting a cool kiss onto his boyfriend's cheek. "If that's your type, then that's your type, who am I to judge?" Kon's blue eyes brightened and he threw a heavy arm over Tim's shoulders.

"So we're okay? Even if I never get around to...y'know, bottoming?" Kon muttered uncertainly, and Tim shrugged.

"We're okay. We'll start with baby steps," Tim assented finally with an absent nod. "You know, once we actually manage to  _start_ ," he added with a laugh.

"No time like the present?" Kon tried with a sudden, cheeky smile, and Tim dissolved into quiet, shaking giggles.

"Nice try, babe," he patted his boyfriend's muscled back patronizingly, and Kon shrugged. Tim pressed another kiss into Kon's skin and sighed contentedly, thinking back now that they were cuddling to how much he really did love admiring all the bare, sculpted skin of Kon's still mostly undressed lower half. He suppressed a heated shiver -seriously, _fuck_ all these hormones lately-, and fingered the ring on his third finger almost reverently. Maybe he'd waited long enough, to be honest. His body was certainly ready for it. Plus, he'd been with Kon long enough now, he certainly loved the guy.

Teal eyes flashed uninvited in his brain again, as well as the faint, ghostly whiff of smoke and body soap. Guilt twined and snaked through his insides, and he nearly tensed when he remembered a certain conversation in the hallway yesterday.

Move on, he'd told Jason. Maybe this _was_ the way to move on, he considered.  At least for himself, anyway. All he needed was a special night and some alone time with Kon, and maybe-

As if in answer, he eyed the ring on his finger again and smiled when he remembered why it had been given to him in the first place.  _Homecoming_ ; it was coming up next week, it would be _perfect_.

"Soon, though," Tim hummed aloud, just as Kon had started to stir and reach back towards his shoulder pads. Kon froze now, and blinked back at him in awe.

"Really?" he whispered, and Tim nodded shyly in the affirmative. Kon rushed forward and kissed him so fervently that it almost caught him off guard. Still, he wrapped his arms gladly around Kon's shoulders and reciprocated eagerly enough. At least until there was an uncomfortable cough and a gruff voice grumbling at the end of the aisle.

"Kent! Why aren't you dressed yet? Ten minutes to huddle, your boyfriend's gotta go!" the coach demanded sternly, and Tim was flushed with embarrassment as Kon quickly pulled away.

"Sorry, boss," Kon smiled sheepishly. "I'll be out in a sec," he promised.

"Hustle, boy," the man pointed a thick, sausage finger warningly at the senior before sauntering off toward toward the exit.

"Guess that's my cue. Steph and Jay are probably already in the stands," Tim giggled, only half mortified as he stood to go. Kon drew him in one last time and pressed a lasting kiss against Tim's lips.

"Cheer for me?" Kon questioned hopefully, and Tim laughed. Sap, like always.

"Always," he answered back, just as guilty.

 

 

Minutes later, Tim was drifting through the stadium and climbing the metal stands to find his friends. He spotted the signature blonde, bobbing ponytail easily enough, and shuffled quickly toward her. She and Jason appeared deep in conversation, both leaning forward on their arms and cradling steaming styrofoam cups of what Tim hoped was hot chocolate.

"You two look thick as thieves," Tim waved them down jovially, and they both perked and turned at the sound of his voice. "I hope one of you plans on _sharing_ ," he added, gesturing towards the beverages as he sat pointedly between the two of them. Stephanie snorted her dissent immediately.

"Not a  _chance_ , Princess," she scoffed, and Tim eyed her in surprise at the nickname. "What? Jay calls you Princess, and I kind of like it. You're stuck, kid," she darted her tongue out teasingly as Tim pouted loudly in indignance.

"You call me Princess again and _your_ new nickname is going to be Stuff-y Brownie Bun," Tim threatened, and this time he heard Jason spurt into his own drink with laughter.

"That might be her new nickname now, anyway, shit," Jason giggled uncontrollably, and Tim suddenly melted. The twinkle in the sea of teal made Jason seem genuinely  _happy_ , and the sound of his baritone  _giggle_ was nothing short of awe inspiring.

"You know, I can come up with something way raunchier than Princess, _Princess_ ," Stephanie threatened, and Tim rolled his eyes.

"Do your worst, you blonde banshee," he dared, shaking his head fondly. "Anyway, I don't suppose  _you're_ willing to share?" he turned toward Jason (and his hot chocolate) hopefully. Jason chuffed once and shook his head, much to Stephanie's delight as she cackled triumphantly. "Awe,  _why_?" Tim whined. To his surprise, Jason glanced up at Stephanie with a twitching, conspiratorial smile.

"Should we end his suffering or keep torturing him?" he laughed, and Stephanie, of course, voted the latter almost immediately.

"End my suffering,  _please_ Jay," Tim pouted desperately, and Stephanie groaned at him.

"Oh my god, don't let him sucker you- Jay,  _no!_ " she cried as Jason reached behind his back and pulled out a third steaming drink. Tim gasped in delight as Jason handed it to him, and he beamed gratefully at the junior.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you," Tim chanted, eagerly accepting the cup and daring to take a small sip of the seething, delicious liquid.

"Cheater," Stephanie pinched his ribs sourly, nearly causing Tim to spill his sweet, chocolate ambrosia. " _Traitor_ ," she prodded at Jason, too, who simply shrugged shamelessly.

"Sour puss," Tim retorted smugly, taking another long, frothy drink.

"Whiny baby," Stephanie's brown eyes sparkled darkly with excitement at their new game, and Tim squared up fiercely.

"Dominatrix," he slung back proudly, and her lips twitched at that one.

" _Twink_."

Tim double took this time, since it obviously wasn't the first time he'd heard the word today, and Stephanie cried out in victory, raising her cup proudly into the air.

"You're both toddlers, you know that?" Jason was rolling his eyes at their antics, and Stephanie hummed smugly.

"At least we're not old geezers like you, Jay," she replied sweetly, toasting him as she took a well-earned sip of coco.

" _Twink_?" Tim finally croaked out in disbelief, drawing both brown and teal eyes alike to his stricken face. "Am I really a twink?" Stephanie and Jason blinked, baffled and uncertain for a moment, before exchanging glances with each other.

"Honey, have you seen the way you dress?" she teased lightly, and Tim glanced down at his cashmere cardigan and crew cut skinny jeans helplessly. 

"I thought that was just a rich kid thing," Jason commented helpfully, and Tim groaned in frustration.

"Babe, calm down, what's up?" Stephanie frowned, all lighthearted banter gone now as she threw an arm around his shoulders.

"Kon thinks I'm a twink too," Tim grumbled into a pout. Stephanie, to her credit, tried very, very hard to keep a straight face. She cleared her throat, however, and nodded gravelly at his words like a good friend.

"Do you not like the word? Because we can burn it from our minds and tear it out of every urban dictionary if we have to," Stephanie offered, and Tim -though still quite nonplussed- actually managed a grateful smile her direction.

"No, it's not that. It's-" the fact that his boyfriend had an obvious type for twinks, and might never bottom because of possible insecurities? "-complicated. I'll tell you later," he murmured into her ear quietly. Stephanie nodded her understanding and pecked a quick, supportive kiss to his temple before releasing him back to the open air.

"Timothy would like to establish that he is not a twink, and in fact a very masculine manly man who enjoys hot coco and essential oils from time to time," Stephanie turned and stated to Jason seriously. His previous blank, confused expression at their whispering quickly melted into amusement at her explanation.

"Understood," Jason nodded behind a grin. "I'm a fan of your skin cream and cucumber lotion, myself, so I have to agree." Tim arched a brow in surprise, and Stephanie gasped in sudden excitement.

"Really?" she squawked. "I let him try some earlier while you were blowing your boyfriend," she explained hurriedly to Tim's astonishment, and Jason's obvious amusement.

"W- I _wasn't_ -" Tim started defensively, but Stephanie blew past his objections heedlessly.

"Oh my god, can we do a spa night when we get to my house?  _Please_? I have other products and I've been dying to get someone to help me paint my toenails," she begged, tugging on Jason's sleeve insistently.

"Fine, fine, I'll be your guinea-pig pool boy," Jason joked, throwing his hands up in surrender.

"Nuh uh, pool boys are his thing," Stephanie reminded, pointing towards Tim with a wink. Tim rolled his eyes now, but couldn't quite hide the indulging smile blooming on his face. "Foot rubs, face scrubs, skin care and mani-pedis are for  _estheticians,_ who are goddamn  _artists_ , by the way," she corrected. God, Tim loved his best friend, he realized for the hundred thousandth time as he took another gleeful sip of his drink. "And also, while we bask like the spoiled heathens we are later, we can gossip about what you and Dick are going to do on your date tomorrow, too."

Tim choked. Seriously choked, his throat closed up when he accidentally tried to gasp, and the hot chocolate tragically sloshed down the wrong pipe and got hacked gracefully back up and over his chin. A firm hand from Jason clapped him on the back as he sputtered for breath, and Stephanie cringed beside him guiltily.

"You okay?" Jason furrowed his brows heavily in concern, and Tim nodded noisily as he wiped his chin.

"Woops," Stephanie mumbled apologetically. "I guess you didn't know yet."

"Ya think?" he wheezed back quietly just as the buzzer blew and crowd around them began to roar, signalling the beginning ceremonies of the game.


	16. It's My Party and I'll Cry If I Want To

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy update, everyone :) This chapter was infuriating to write bc I had to write, re-write and switch perspectives like four times before I found an angle I was happy with. Good fucking god tho, this chapter is so looooong. I think it's like, the longest one I've written so far. And the next chapter is turning out just as massive so far, wah Dx
> 
> Tbh you guys, I'm starting to lose my momentum for this story and its frustrating bc I still have so much I want to get to and reveal before I end the fic. It's just...writer's block is a bitch, man, and there's still so much more to get to.
> 
> Help me out, will ya? If you guys could bear with me and send me some prompts to keep me motivated and maybe help my creative juices keep flowing, I'd def appreciate it. 
> 
> Anyway, lot's of love, let me know what you guys think so far in the comments, you know I love to hear your thoughts :)
> 
> P.S. If there are any errors, it's because it's 4 in the morning and I've already spent two months working on this piece of shit that I love, and I'm too excited to postpone the update any longer. I'll proofread it again in the morning (afternoon?) when I wake up, okay? Promise. Bear with me, darlings, and enjoy :)
> 
> ***edited 11/14

_"Congratulations!_ " he'd said, all but gasping to hide his shock once he'd finished hacking up his hot chocolate. Tim may have worn a smile at the time, but when Jason's teal eyes were on him shining with hope and relief, and his lips pulled back in a warm smile to match, the world around him dissolved and Tim started dying on the inside right then and there. Jason had been nervous about telling him, Tim realized. Instead of wondering _why_ , like a  _normal_ human being, he couldn't over the screams of denial in his own head. If only to hide the panic in his face, Tim threw a tight hug around the older boy's shoulders, and Jason grunted out loud in surprise.

"I-...thanks," Jason laughed, stunned as he returned the gesture with one arm. The touch was innocent enough, but Tim could barely breathe, and it wasn't because of the overwhelming odor of smoke on Jason's coat. No, it was due to the ache spreading slowly from his sternum all throughout the cavity of his entire chest.

Jason had chosen Dick Grayson...  _Dick_ of all people. The one who'd turned Tim down a lifetime ago; the one who'd kissed Jason before Tim had ever gotten a chance to; the one who made everyone fall in love with him at the bat of an eye, or charm of his smile. Dick was Mr.  _Perfect_ (perfect hair, perfect tan, perfect teeth, perfect body, reputation, humor,  _heart of gold_ )... Jason deserved the world, Tim knew, but god damn it, Dick Grayson was the one guy who could actually sweep him off his feet and  _give_ it to him. Tim felt his stomach lurch heavily as he pulled himself away, but he was careful to keep his smile perfectly in place.

"Dick's gonna be one lucky guy," Tim's voice nearly cracked at the joke, but Jason (thankfully) didn't seem to notice as he chuckled shyly, rifling a hand through his messy hair and flushing a rosy shade of pink. It took everything Tim had not to reach up and brush his fingers across Jason's cheek.

"I think I'm the one who got lucky, actually. He's the one who asked  _me_ out," Jason shrugged modestly. A small, petty stab of jealousy stung Tim like a knife to the gut.

"Really? I...thought he was after Barbara?" the burst left his lips before he could stop it, and Jason furrowed his brows. Tim caught Stephanie frowning at him from the corner of his eyes, but Tim swallowed and laughed dismissively (and if it was a pitch too high, who cared?). "Looks like he finally took the hint from her, I guess."

"Er...yeah. Something like that," Jason muttered, staring down at Tim and blinking uncertainly. Maybe even suspiciously, perceptive as the guy was. Tim was almost grateful when he felt a vibration buzz in his pocket, and he nearly fell over himself scrambling to pull out his phone.

 

_Wow, I think you're *actually* turning green._

 

Tim's eye twitched, and he struggled not to look at the blonde and make anything obvious to Jason as he shot back a quick reply.

 

 **Wow, I think you're *actually* enjoying this. How long have you** **known!**?

 

"What are you guys gonna do?" Tim swallowed, carrying on the conversation and forcing a tight smile on his face. He was trying to be happy for Jason, he really, really was. Hadn't he asked Jason to do this, anyway? For his relationship's sake? For his friendship with Jason's sake? Another two buzzes went off from the phone in his hands, and he was quick to check it even as Jason started to reply.

 

_He told me like ten minutes before you came back, calm down._

_You should be happy for them. This way, maybe everyone can be happy._

 

Yeah...he should be. But then why did this feel so... _shitty_?

 

 **Not Bar** **bara.**  

 

Okay, so he was petty, sue him. (But really, what was the deal with Barbara, anyway? She and Dick had been flirting all year, what gives?) Tim didn't dare look up to see how Stephanie reacted to that one.

"Dunno," the junior shrugged earnestly, blinking away and fiddling his thumbs around his cup of chocolate. "Dick said he'd take care of the plans. I think he mentioned skating or something? I'm not sure."

"Uh oh," Tim managed a small laugh even though his lungs felt completely hollow. Thank god for a lifetime of acting practice. "As spontaneous as Dick is, that could literally mean anything."

"Yeah, he could take you out on the bay for a romantic candlelit dinner, or he could try and blow you in a back alley, you never know," Stephanie chimed in, waggling her brows. Jason, who'd just taken a sip of his drink, promptly choked, and Tim just about forgot how to breathe himself. Jesus; he had  _not_ been prepared for that picture, and it should  _not_ be this confusingly arousing and upsetting at the same time. On one hand, there was just something about Jason and blowjobs that sent little shivers of heat through his belly. Hell, Tim had already gotten _off_ to that little fantasy a few times. On the other...when he imagined Jason's fingers threading through  _Dick's_ hair and moaning and shivering for  _Dick_ instead of  _him_ \- well, that was a roller-coaster of conflicting emotions spiraling him straight to hell.

 "Jeez, Steph, your hard-on's showing," Jason shook his head humorously. Steph shrugged guiltily (though not looking overly shamed about it), and Tim...well, he wasn't proud of it, but all he could do was simply sulk at their banter and silently pretend to drink his hot chocolate. How could he possibly indulge their humor right now when Stephanie actually had some level of truth to her words? One way or another, Dick Grayson was about to sweep Jason off his feet, and there was literally nothing Tim could (or  _should_ , but right now he was  _way_  past the point of being rational) do about it.

So he stared off into the crowd while they talked.

Did Dick even have any idea how lucky he was?

Said senior was down by the tracks with the cheer squad at that very moment, twirling and dancing, and doing a very good job of leading the crowd through an enthusiastic chant. Dick was completely absorbed in the moment, radiating confident energy, all smiling and focused; no trace of anxiety or uncertainty, no mind towards his future date currently at Tim's side, or Tim's laser pointed stares in his direction; perfectly peaceful, and ignorant...and happy. God, Tim's insides were burning with jealousy.

 _Move on_ , he'd told Jason. Oh, Jason would be able to move on now, all right; Tim just....hadn't thought it'd be this soon. Jason was leaving him in the dust alone with these stupid, helpless feelings, and the thought was terrifying and sickening all at once.

A vibration interrupted his roiling inner monologue eating at his sanity; another text from Stephanie.

 

_Chill, babe. Dinah asked Babs to go to homecoming with her and she said yes, so Dick backed off. Dick and Jay have to have someone, so why not each other? Try to look on the bright side._

 

Oh. Well that was one question answered, he supposed. Was it wrong to kind of hate Dick a little bit even more now? Probably. But god damn it, he had everything Tim didn't... _couldn't_ : Jason,  _and_ the ability to bow out and move on with grace. Tim had never wanted to gnash his teeth or tear his hair out more in his life.

 

**I know... I'm trying.**

**It's hard, okay?**

 

_I know, babe. You know I'm here for you, right?_

 

**I know. Love you.**

 

_I know ;)_

 

"Did you really just Han Solo me?" Tim scoffed into her ear, amused. She grinned, nodding as she winked a single, sparkling brown eye.

"Did it work, Princess?" she giggled back. Tim rolled his eyes, shaking his head at the blonde, but god, he did he love her for it. This was why she was his best friend; to smack some sense into him, then try and cheer him up with mocking nicknames and pop culture.

 

"Cram it, nerf herder," Tim murmured back indulgently.

"That's  _scruffy looking_ nerf herder to you," she poked him in the chest with a blazing grin.

"So I'm not really sure what I missed," Jason cut in suddenly with a half bemused expression. Tim flushed as reality came crashing back, but also because (heaven help him) Jason's crooked smile summoned the army of butterflies that lived in his belly. "But since we somehow started talking Star Wars, can I just say, Tim makes a kick ass Leia, but there's no  _way_ Steph gets to be Han when she's so clearly the Emperor."

"Ouch," Stephanie snorted, covering her hand over her heart in faux shock.

"You know what? You're absolutely right, how could I have missed that?" Tim chuffed in agreement, turning to meet Jason's eyes. As usual, Jason's teal gaze was intense and undivided, making Tim's heart stutter involuntarily in response.

"Et tu, Brute?" Stephanie sighed dramatically, but her voice seemed muffled, and far away. Somewhere in the higher functioning part of his brain, he was still aware of the sounds of the game -the whistle blowing for the next play, the marching band bellowing the next fight song, whooping cheers of the crowd-, and he could almost register Stephanie watching him like a blonde evil emperor hawk every microsecond he kept swooning up at Jason; too bad he was a world away from higher brain function right now. Instead, the only thing his brain was capable of spewing was the equivalent of verbal garbage. 

"Don't listen to Blonde Palpatine, Jay. You're more the Han Solo type anyway."

Stephanie's yellow brows shot up, scandalized at Tim's audacity, and Jason chuckled in flattered surprise. Tim blushed at his own stupidity and vividly visualized punching himself in his own face. Repeatedly. Could he  _be_ any more obvious? So much for fucking subtlety.

"Does that mean I can keep calling you Princess after all?" Jason suddenly quirked, not missing a beat. If Tim had been flustered before, he was burning  _up_ now, and and all he could do was laugh along in helpless exasperation, trying not to swoon because Jason was flirting  _back_.

"Don't count on it, Jaybird," Tim shot back with a clandestine grin. And if he had to pretend not to see Stephanie rolling her brown eyes while he basked in the warmth of Jason's beaming face, so what? He couldn't, however, just ignore the next buzz from inside his pocket. So yeah, he went ahead and checked her incoming text.

 

 _Yeesh, get a back seat you thirsty skank. You guys are shameless xxxx_  

 

So, Tim should probably feel guilty at her little jibe. She had a point behind all that sarcasm, though Tim was hardly shameless. Hell, she'd mentioned the very back seat that still saturated him with plenty of shame just thinking about it (among all the raging lust and adrenaline that came with). But then what was a little innocent flirting compared to... _that_? It couldn't hurt anything, right? Tim and Jason had already set up boundaries even before this whole Dick phenomena, so what the hell.

As if that weren't temptation enough, a loud cheer from the tracks caught his attention, zeroing in on none other than the senior himself. Dick was clapping emphatically at the Knights' most recent touchdown (man, he  _really_ hadn't been paying attention to this game at  _all_ ), and the burning bubble of jealousy rose like hot tar in his stomach. Soon Jason's smile, his cyincal teases and romantic poetry, his hoodies and teal ocean eyes would all be for Dick.

So why  _not_ soak up the flirting and adoration while he could? ...While it was still for him? It was only one more night anyway, and it was  _mostly_ innocent, even if it was  _massively_ selfish.

Tim could worry what Kon would say, but honestly, he'd already chosen Kon, so why would his boyfriend object? Wasn't it Stephanie who'd said the whole  _what he doesn't know won't hurt him_ spiel? Besides, Kon would be distracted by the game and the after-party all night, so Tim wouldn't have to worry about him too much. In fact...after their little revelation earlier, Tim figured a little space was warranted so he could process and maybe talk to Steph about it when they got to her house.

Yeah. Everything was going to be fine, he decided before shooting back a response to Stephanie.

 

**Shut up, you low key ship it and you know it. xoxo**

_Maybe ;) Don't let that inflate your ego or your hopes too much, tho, I've still gotta be the voice of reason here._

**Yeah, yeah, ok.**

 

.......................................

 "So you're not coming home tonight, right?" his mother questioned anxiously for what seemed the third time. Jason took a long draft of his cigarette before answering on the exhale.

"No," Jason confirmed gently, shaking his head even though she couldn't see it since it was a phone call and all. "You got the place all to yourself tonight, mom. I'll be home tomorrow after my date, remember?"

"Oh! Yeah, that's right," she chuckled fondly and sighed at herself for forgetting. Her memory wasn't what it used to be after so many years of-... well. At least she seemed happy enough tonight, and he hadn't seen tide nor trace of her little habit lately (she hadn't stopped, Jason knew, but she hadn't had another serious episode in almost a month), so here they were. By here, obviously he meant borrowing Tim's phone on top Stephanie's balcony just so he could suck down a cigarette and check in on her. "Well, don't worry about me then, sweetheart, you go have fun and tell me all about it tomorrow, okay?"

"You're sure you'll be alright?" His tone was probably sharper than he intended it to be, but Jason could never be too certain. Any sign of conflict or hesitation and it could spell a major overdose in the works.

" _Yes_ , baby," Katherine chided in almost motherly firmness. "I'm actually expecting company tonight, so don't you worry about me. Go have fun, but make  _sure_ you get back tomorrow. I've got a little surprise for you," she teased, and Jason suddenly arched a brow, which the woman again couldn't see, but still.

"Company?" he repeated skeptically, flicking ash over the edge of the roof he was sitting on. " _Surprise_?"

"Relax, will you? Not the kind of company you're worried about," she scoffed lightly, and Jason almost managed to smile. Even if the joke was vague, it was still spot -fucking-on as far as Jason's fears were concerned.

"Just a new boyfriend, then?" Jason chuckled back in slight relief. She was never this candid when she was actually trying to hide something, so.... maybe he could afford to relax a little after all.

"Something like that. Now enough, go have fun and I'll tell you more later," she insisted eagerly, and Jason actually laughed.

"Fine, fine. Just call this number if you need me, okay?"

"Alright. Love you, baby," she cooed over the line, and Jason rolled his eyes.

"Love you too, mom," he returned earnestly as the line went dead. He sighed in relief now that that little weight was off his shoulders, then shivered as icy wind gusted through his thin sweat pants and t-shirt. In hindsight he should've grabbed his jacket before coming outside, but it was half a cigarette too late for regrets. Instead, he resolved to quickly finish the last bit of the death stick before snuffing it out and flicking it to the frosted grass below. Stephanie and Tim were waiting on him inside the bedroom to continue spa night, after all, and Tim would probably be missing his phone.

Jason paused for a second, staring down at the screen; the wallpaper was still that silly photo he and Tim had taken last Friday at the restaurant, grinning like gluttonous idiots up at the camera. It made Jason's lip curl up as the moment replayed in his mind. Everything seemed so much simpler then, just waiting to watch a movie, only hours before the best, most bittersweet kiss of his life. He was honestly surprised Tim kept the picture after they'd crossed that line, but here it was as his home screen of all things. Tim made his choice, and may have told Jason to move on, but why keep Jason's picture around? Was it to remind himself of the simple times and give himself some ideal to get back to for the two of them? Or was it because...Tim didn't want to forget that night, or the feelings he had for Jason? Probably some insane hybrid of the two, Jason reasoned.

Either way, he shouldn't waste time obsessing over it, or start snooping through Tim's phone like a creep even if it was sorely tempting. Yeah, he'd noticed Tim and Steph's rapid-fire texting earlier after finding out about Dick. Hell, how could he not? The boy had a great poker face, but Jason had gotten to know him well enough to see the conflict and strain in his eyes. Stephanie must have caught it too, and  _god_ , what he'd give to read what Tim told her, to know how the boy really felt about Jason right now. After all the mixed signals tonight alone, it'd be nice to know where they stood... but not urgent enough to break Tim's trust.

So Jason scowled at himself and let the screen fade to black and lock itself before he could change his mind. 

 " _Finally_! It's about time," Stephanie giggled as he crawled back through her window. She and Tim were right were he left them, sprawled across from each other with a mountain of lotion and beauty products resting between. Only, they'd plastered some kind of green face mask on each other in his absence and were now in the middle of massaging each other's feet. Jason chuckled at the ridiculousness of the sight.

"I wasn't gone  _that_ long," Jason rolled his eyes, tossing both his pack and Tim's phone to the pillows with a thud. Instead of dignifying him with a response, Stephanie wrinkled her nose as he crawled onto the bed beside them.

"Ugh, you smell like an ashtray," she complained instead. 

"And you guys look like you got in a fight with a bucket of slime and lost," Jason retorted, smirking when he saw Tim dip his chin behind a poorly hidden snort.

"It was actually a  _tube_ ," she corrected, picking up the very one in question and tossing it at him. Jason caught it before he had a chance to flinch in surprise as Stephanie continued, "And you're going to put it on your face too if you want in on the pedicures."

"And who says I wanted that?" Jason donned a shit eating grin as she scowled.

"Jay, you promised her, remember?" Tim nudged him from the other side. Jason snapped his eyes over to the boy, whose face was smiling warmly at him and equally as caked in green goop as Stephanie's. Something about the way the boy's eyes shone, lips curving up at him so sweetly sent Jason's heart fluttering, and just like that Jason's resistance (facetious as it had been) dissolved.

"Fine, fine," Jason placated in surrender.

"Excellent," Stephanie hummed triumphantly. "Now mask up then take your socks off. You can do my feet and Tim will get yours." Jason arched his brows in surprise.

"I will?" Tim exclaimed, echoing Jason's hesitation perfectly.

"You're too picky about your feet, babe. We can switch and you can do my feet instead, but that means Jason's doing yours. And do you really want a newbie like him messing with them and risk fucking up your perfect cuticles?" Stephanie scoffed, rolling her eyes and patting his calf indulgently. A grin split across Jason's face as Tim's expression twisted.

"Perfect cuticles, huh?" Jason smirked, finally working to apply his own face mask. Tim's skin pinkened modestly and he shrugged.

"Don't let him fool you, he's very proud of them," Stephanie grinned wickedly, all too willing to poke more fun at her best friend. "Really, they always look better than mine. I'm honestly a little jealous."

"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up, you two. At least I take  _care_ of my feet. You plebs probably have callouses the size of Texas," Tim gave in, sticking his tongue out at them with a laugh. Jason shook his head cynically and smiled. 

"Oh, forgive us of our working class flaws, your highness," Stephanie clucked back back sarcastically with a swat to Tim's arm. Jason laughed along with her, shrugging apologetically when Tim cast him a betrayed pout.

"Don't worry Tim, we all know she's just as spoiled as you," Jason winked. Stephanie gasped playfully, and Tim cracked a smile from under his lashes that made Jason's heart reel. (Jason cursed himself, because Tim wasn't even  _trying_ , but here he was swooning over the boy like a damn fool. Again.)

"Yeah, well, everyone deserves to be spoiled occasionally," Steph shot back with a crooked grin. "Seriously, what's not to love about a little luxury? Just wait til we're done, your skin's gonna feel clean and exfoliated, your feet are gonna be all nice and smooth, and your nails are gonna look so awesome," she promised brightly.

"You guys aren't gonna paint them, are you?" Jason frowned, looking toward Tim even if the question was technically directed toward both of them. The boy chuckled and shook his head.

"Nah, just a little clipping and buffing," Tim assured.

"And you know what you're doing, right?" Jason grimaced as Tim reached to pull Jason's feet into his lap.

"Oh, don't worry, he's  _very_ good with his hands," Stephanie snickered, nudging her own feet pointedly against Jason's folded knees. A blush crept from under his face mask and down the boy's neck, and he simply glared at her. Jason shook his head, unable to hide a soft chuckle.

"What Steph  _means_ is that I do her feet all the time," Tim assured. "Though not anymore if she keeps giving me grief."

"Awe, Tim, don't be like that," she pouted. Tim arched an unimpressed brow at her as he grabbed something that looked ominously like a metal kitchen grate, but his lips twitched just slightly enough to give away his humor.

"Um, I'm not about to get skinned alive, am I?" Jason interrupted anxiously as Tim pressed the tool against his sole. Tim and Steph glanced at each other amusement and snorted.

"Only your callouses, Jay. You won't feel a thing," Tim explained, bright eyes sparkling. And damn, those baby blues were earnest enough that Jason almost believed him.

"Well," he amended as an after thought as Stephanie scoffed. Ah, here was the catch. "It might tickle a bit."

"Wait, wha-" Jason gasped half a second too late as Tim began casually shredding his soles. He let a strangled noise escape and jerked fast, because  _wow_ , Tim wasn't kidding. But Tim was expecting the reaction, because Jason's ankle was held fast, and Stephanie's blatant trill of laughter drowned out his whining.

"Sit still, it isn't so bad when you relax," Stephanie coached through her giddiness as Jason tried and failed to keep a stoic face.

"Why do you guys enjoy this again?" Jason griped, forcing himself still and gripping the comforter tight enough that his knuckles were white. Seriously, tickling aside, his skin was coming off in  _flakes_ , and there was a small mountain of it forming. The blonde rolled her eyes, and Tim (without pausing) smiled up at him piteously. Jason swallowed.

"Trust us, will you? It'll be worth it," Steph promised. Jason grunted and made a face at her.

"Will it make you feel better to know you get to torture her by grating her feet?" Tim twinkled while he worked.

"Good, maybe it'll wipe that smirk off her face," Jason muttered darkly, to which Steph rolled her eyes.

"Hardly," she clucked, rummaging briefly into the pile of beauty products and pulling out what looked like an...egg? " _I'm_ not a baby. Here, have at it, tiger," she tossed the egg to him. Jason caught it and stared in confusion until he felt the miniature metal grater on the underside of the thing.

"Hold on, this one doesn't look so bad. Why does mine look like a cheese grater turned torture device?" Jason scrunched his nose as Stephanie wiggled her toes in his lap expectantly.

"Oh, bitch all you want. They're literally the same thing," Stephanie taunted. Jason squinted at her unappreciatively, wasting no time after that to start grinding the tool against her heel. To his irritation, she didn't even twitch.

"Down, Steph," Tim tutted, finally pausing just long enough to inspect his work and switch feet. Jason winced but wasn't about to be shown up by Blondie, so kept perfectly still when Tim started on the next side. "What she  _meant_ to say," he continued non-chalantly, "is that pedi-eggs are nice and all, but as thick as your callouses were, you needed something a little more heavy duty. Make sense?" Tim's explanation was simple and soothing, and the tension in Jason's neck eased slightly as he nodded.

"Good. Now relax, Jay. I've got you," Tim looked up from his work and smiled softly. And god damn it, if  his words didn't sucker him in, then those baby blues certainly did. Any defiance Jason might've had left melted, and all he could do was swallow and smile back like a fool.

"Will you two stop making googly eyes already? Unlike Tim, _I_ have a gag reflex. Plus my poor callouses are getting neglected," Stephanie very suddenly interrupted, pouting. Jason immediately felt his skin heat with embarrassment as he realized that yeah, he had stopped grating her stupid soles, and yeah, maybe he had mooned a little obviously. And did she just joke about Tim's gag reflex (or lack thereof)? Shit, that fucking picture probably went entirely against what she'd been trying to achieve. Tim however, remained composed enough to narrow his eyes at her.

"What?" she shrugged innocently.

" _Sorry_ ," Tim sighed, quietly mouthing to Jason ( _fuck_ , that mouth... did he really not have a gag reflex? With the stories the boy had divulged last week, maybe-... No. Stop it, Jason,  _stop it_ ).

"No, um...she's probably right," Jason shrugged, clearing his throat.. At least this proved his theory about her already knowing everything. Or most everything, anyway. "Sorry, Steph."

"It's fine," she dismissed easily, surprising Jason, to say the least. "As long as you're both cool?" she arched a single blonde brow. Jason snuck a quick glance at the younger boy, who at first was probably trying to avoid his gaze, but their eyes ended up meeting anyway. Baby blues held Jason captive for a fraction of a second until Tim turned away, trying to hide a rising flush.

"We're cool, Blondie," Jason promised, quickly turning back to the girl. She nodded, and the three of them returned to finish their pedicures in relative (though not unamiable or unthinking) silence.

 

 

So it turned out Jason really  _did_ enjoy pedicures; after the test of will that was the skin grater, he genuinely enjoyed the foot soak and even the nail and cuticle care. His favorite, however, was the massages and the fancy lavender oil that went with it; having Tim caress his skin like that and sneaking smiles and glances at each other (after the conversation inevitably and more innocently picked back up) was certainly a plus. After all was said and done, his feet had never looked or felt better, and his face was so smooth he couldn't stop touching it despite Stephanie's complaining that he'd get it dirty again if he didn't stop.

 After spa night was over and cleaned away, they'd settled into the pillows for another marathon of Friends. Less than a few episodes later, they were all cuddled up on the edge of Steph's bed and nodding off when the girl insisted she couldn't keep her eyes open anymore. So after much grumbling and shuffling around, she helped them set up a pallet of blankets before turning out the light and promptly burying herself back in bed.

Jason and Tim were left to settle for themselves on the floor, quiet and face to face in the dark. Somehow....somehow, even though Tim and Steph had pretty much been sprawled over him earlier and using his chest as a human pillow, the few inches that seperated the two of them now felt...hotter. Like, burning hot, not-...well, probably in the _other_ way, too, but still.

He could hear Tim's soft breaths, could see the silhouette of his shoulders rise and fall gently with each inhale and exhale. In the darkness, Jason could just make out the boy's face; his eyes were technically closed, but even after almost an hour, he could tell that Tim was still awake. He desperately wanted to talk and make sure the air was clear, and now that they were alone, it was almost the perfect opportunity. So Jason waited just long enough until Stephanie started snoring before he dared to speak

"You can't sleep either?" he murmured, and he could just barely see Tim crack his eyes open to look at him.

"No. Not really," he whispered back, shifting slightly closer onto his elbow. Jason mirrored his movement so that they were both leveled.

"I figured. Tim, can I...ask you a question?" he hesitated, chewing on his lip. Sure, why not just launch into it? Stalling was just foreplay anyway.

"Yeah, er...alright."

"Has anything... been bothering you tonight?" Jason inquired quietly. Finally. Maybe now he'd know if Tim's weird, conflicting signals actually meant something or if Jason was just projecting... like an idiot.

"Oh," Tim turned his head away slightly, as if to hide a blush that Jason couldn't see. It was enough to send Jason's heart galloping, anyway. "Shit...I was really hoping you didn't notice," he admitted sheepishly. Jason's heart stopped. This was it; Tim really was hung up about Dick, then.

What was he going to do? (He probably shouldn't be excited, for starters).

"You probably don't wanna hear it," Tim continued, reaching up to rub his forehead tiredly. Jason straightened and took a deep breath, shaking his head.

"No, I-...I figured you needed to talk. Lay it on me," he encouraged pretty steadily, considering his pulse was going wild.

"It's...something Kon said."

For the second time in less than a minute, Jason's heart stopped, but this time (surprisingly) in disappointment. And then distaste when the boy's words, or rather Kent's stupid, broad face, registered in his brain. Jason supposed he should be relieved since it didn't pertain to them. Or him and Dick, rather. Perhaps Jason was just being foolish for thinking- no, _hoping_ that Tim would care about his date like that. Leave it to him to misinterpret everything. Nobody ever said Jason Todd wasn't stupidly conceited, after all. With that quiet, humbling little lesson in mind, he nodded at Tim's words and encouraged the boy to go on. Even if it was about  _Kon_. (No... just Kon. He had to get over this stupid jealousy eventually, he reminded himelf).

After searching his face for a moment, probably looking for any hesitation on Jason's part and finding none, Tim relaxed and continued. "Do you... think I'm a twink?"

Okay, so not gonna lie, the shock of the question pretty much bitch slapped him and left him gaping like an idiot.

"Um-" Jason scrambled articulately, and Tim buried his probably beat red face into his pillow with an embarrassed groan.

"Forget it, oh god," he groaned, and there was an odd little, half-amused, half-exhasperated noise that welled up in Jason's throat.

"Surely he didn't call you that?" Jason blinked, finally managing with more than a little apprehension. Tim's face was still hidden, so his reply came a bit muffled.

"No, not...not directly," he meeped. Jason frowned in thought and pushed himself up enough to cross his arms.

"First of all, even if I did think you were a twink, is that necessarily a bad thing?" Jason reasoned, and Tim finally peaked up at him through his fingers. "Second, I'd ask why it matters, but I have a feeling I already know." Super-boyfriend obviously had a type.

"I thought you had a thing against making assumptions," Tim pointed out, just managing a tiny smile as he lifted his head again. Jason scoffed and nodded slightly; kid had him there.

"Just working with the context clues, Princess. Come on, though, tell me what happened," Jason insisted. Tim winced and shifted reluctantly, so Jason patiently waited until Tim could gather the courage to spill the beans. And fuck help him when Tim finally did.

"Kon doesn't want to bottom because I'm a... twink," he explained, hesitating over the last word like he wasn't sure how to pronounce it.

"What the  _fuck_ kind of logic is that?" Jason blurted loudly before he could stop himself. They both winced when Stephanie's soft snoring stuttered above, and Jason raised his hand as if to cover his mouth on an afterthought, but why bother? So (after several tense moments of waiting until her breathing evened out again) he sighed instead, furrowing his brows as Tim stared bug-eyed in anticipation.

"Tim," he murmured, closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose. "There are so many things wrong with that, I don't even know where to begin."

"I'm sorry, am I making you uncomforta-"

"No. No, Tim, it's not that... just listen," Jason shook his head calmly, straightening up and opening his eyes back to look directly at Tim, who swallowed. "Seriously, everything about that is bullshit. You're only a twink if you want to be. Even if you are, only heteronormative, alpha male  _dicks_ think 'twinks' can't top. I mean, it's one thing if he has a type, and another if he just preferred pitching, but I will bet you hard cash he's never actually  _tried_ bottoming to find out, has he?" It wasn't supposed to sound as challenging as it came out, but at least it got the point across. Jason could see the gears spinning furiously in Tim's head before the boy turned his face away to hide his conflicted expression.

"'He's nottadick," Tim mumbled indignantly, low enough that Jason almost didn't catch it. Jason arched a brow and snorted his disagreement. "He didn't mean it that way, he just...needs time to think about it," Tim reasoned aloud now. Jason dignified it with a roll of his eyes. "I mean, if he can wait for me, I can wait for him, right?" the boy added. Was he trying to convince Jason or himself? If Jason imagined, he could practically hear the edge of uncertainty. Almost. He was probably just projecting again. Still, that didn't stop the renewed cynicism from manifesting towards the fucking quarterback.

"Either that, or you'll get to bottom for the rest of your life," Jason offered with a quirked brow.

"Is that a bad thing?" Tim shot back defiantly. "I seem to remember you saying something about enjoying it?" Memories of their little car ride game flickered, and Jason grunted in defeat.

"That's not the  _point_ , but yeah," he conceded with a sigh.

"Then what is the point?" Tim frowned, leaning forward on his elbow. Jason gestured helplessly into the darkness as he shrugged.

"You tell me, Tim. If it doesn't bother you, then why did you bring it up?"

"Because...you asked," Tim replied simply. And god damn it, even in the dimness, Jason could see the crestfallen pout on the boy's face.

"I'm sorry," Jason's traitorous lips uttered softly. Tim glanced up at him under his lashes, chewing ever so slightly on the edge of his lip.

God, Jason was a sucker. He wasn't _really_ sorry for what he said; if anything, Tim just reaffirmed for Jason what a jack ass his boyfriend was. But he did feel bad about possibly making Tim regret confiding in him. Some friend he was.

"Blondie probably would have handled that better."

"She did," Tim smirked softly, and Jason chuckled. Of course they'd already discussed this; it was probably what they'd been texting about all damn night. The girl probably cooed right in his ear, encouraging about how love is patient or some shit.

"Sorry," he repeated, pretty much at a loss for words. Or at least for words that wouldn't upset Tim, anyway. Tim waved it away dismissively, and they fell quiet, not quite looking at each other.

"Can I...maybe ask you a question now?" Tim voiced, sounding somewhat unsure several moments later. Jason huffed quietly, bemused that he even had to ask.

"It's only fair," he nudged almost playfully, and Tim smiled involuntarily, if not somewhat nervously.

"Okay... here goes nothing. So since I probably won't experience it for a while... what does it feel like? Topping, I mean."

God damn if Jason didn't freeze up for a third fucking time. He stared at Tim, like...eyes boring into each other with the raw intensity of the sun kind of stared, if only to see if Tim was actually serious. Tim's expression -though marred a bit by an obvious blush- didn't waver. So yeah...serious. Jason swallowed and felt a self-conscious heat rise over his own skin as he tried to summon some kind of answer. Some kind of visual, maybe, or the memory of skin ghosting against him. But with baby blue eyes staring at him so earnestly it was damn near impossible without imagining them underneath him in those particular scenarios.

"I..." Jason faltered.

"Please," Tim whispered (and fuck, _that_ didn't exactly help; if anything it only made Jason's heart beat faster). "I mean... You don't have to. I know I probably shouldn't ask, since...you know," Tim waved between them to indicate the obvious. And yeah, Tim probably had a point there, given the way Jason's body was reacting. But Jason either couldn't resist Tim's pleas, or he was an absolute idiot. Or both.

"No, I'm- it's fine," he assured with an understanding smile. Definitely just an idiot then.

"Um...you obviously know how a blow job feels?" Rhetorical question though it was, Tim nodded intently, and Jason felt his throat start to dry before he forced himself to quietly continue. "Imagine that...warm, wet... _tight_ , much, much tighter right around your-" Jason's voice failed him as the very anatomy he'd referrenced started to twitch. Ahaha,  _no_ , fuck-

"Wet?" Tim's voice quivered almost as much as Jason's. The question sounded so innocent, it almost threw Jason completely off, and it made him slip out a laugh.

"Er, yeah. The lube makes it a little slick," Jason explained. God, how was he actually having this conversation right now? He wasn't shy, nor was he exactly a stranger to sex, or even talking about it (as evidenced by last  _week_ for god's sake), but this was... _so_ much more intimate, in like...the worst (best) way.

"Lube?"

"Well, yeah," Jason chuckled, smiling nervously. "It makes, you know, moving a little easier," he continued, grasping his hands over imaginary hips in mid air as if to demonstrate.

"I thought people just used spit," Tim murmured awkwardly.

" _No_ ," Jason chuffed in bemused disbelief. "I mean, you  _can_ , but with the suction- trust me on this, if you wanna avoid a tear, man or woman, anal's  _much_ easier and safer with lube." Shit, the stuff was so useful, he had a packet of it in his wallet right now...right next to the Trojan.

"They never show it in pornos," Tim pouted defensively, and Jason gaped. Was pornography...really the only exposition Tim's had about gay sex? With a sinking realization in his gut, Jason knew this conversation was about to get a lot more intense.  _Someone_ had to teach the guy, it's not like his idiot boyfriend would know. (Boy was Jason so unprepared for this, though).

"Jesus Christ," he swore weakly, actually wiping his hand over his brow now. "Please tell me you at least know about condom safety," he practically begged.

"Of course!" Tim blushed indignantly, and Jason breathed a sigh of relief.

"And preparation?" Jason pressed on, and Tim blanked.

Great.

"No?" he admitted. Jason let his eyes fall shut and he had to take a moment to steady himself. "What...does that mean, exactly?" Jason sucked on his cheek in contemplation; how the hell does he explain this without... without imagining that it's Tim?

"Y'know, like... cleaning up beforehand. Taking a shower or an enema- I know, sexy, right?" Jason mused when Tim's eyes went wide. "And that's just if you don't want an infection up your-...um, anyway, that's just basic safety, that doesn't even take comfort into account."

"What?" Tim squeaked, and Jason grunted squeemishly. "Do you have to do that every time?"

Suddenly Jason's skin was heating self consciously, and swallowing thickly, he nodded. "It's recommended, yeah. Especially if you're rimming, or if you're not using a condom. " But hey, Jason never let himself take that chance, thankfully. Tim seemed mesmerized as he nodded along, reassuring Jason somewhat that he wasn't entirely fucking the explanation up.

"What else do you do to prepare? You mentioned something about comfort?"

"O-...okay, yeah," why did his voice sound so pitchy? Damn it. Tim had a right to know, Jason could get through this part. "So, when you masturbate, do you go directly to multiple fingers or start with one and work your way up?" He asked pointedly, and he could feel Tim tense up, and hear a soft little gasp. Fuck, the sound nearly made Jason shiver. It was too easy to imagine; the boy's pale body stretched out, covered in a light sheen of sweat while his legs drifted apart, slipping his fingers down, stroking and teasing himself-

"I like to use two," Tim whispered, and yeah, Jason couldn't quite hide a small, quiet groan.

"Yeah, well...two scrawny fingers is nothing compared to the stretch of someone's cock, so usually you have to, y'know..." Jason lifted three fingers up, extending each out slowly as if in demonstration, "...stretch first." Jason covered quickly, trying not to look at the boy, to see those baby blues that would lay him bare (ha) and see right through him. He could feel Tim shift beside him, and Jason was suddenly very, very aware of just how close they were on their little pallet together. 

"What does it feel like, then? When someone's inside you," Tim dared to, swallowing just barely audible, and Jason's breath hitched in his throat. "Jason?" Tim reached out to touch his shoulder, his fingers cool against Jason's flushed skin, and he couldn't hide anymore. He flicked his eyes up to Tim's, and even in the dark, he could see Tim's pupils blown wide, lips parted.

Were Jason cocky enough, he would've said something like  _You wanna find out_? Jason was hardly feeling cocky right now. Not with Tim looking at him like that, with those long, pale fingers pressed against his skin, stroking now, and his own cock straining painfully in his sweats. Hell, he was lucky to manage a thought beyond a soft " _Tim_."

"How does it feel?" Tim whispered again persistently, leaning just slightly closer.

"It...I," he strangled lamely as his brain short circuited. Once upon a time, Jason swore he was more eloquent than this. "Good. It stings a little, but it's like... I'm filled up. Like I'm so full that I want to shiver, but then when I'm moving its  _hot_ , like... I'm burning alive in the best way," _Kind of like Tim made him feel_.

"And..." Oh lord, Tim was peaking up at him from under his lashes, and Jason's heart was suffocating him from where it was lodged in his throat. "How does it feel when you're buried in someone else?" Goosebumps raised on Jason's arms where Tim's fingers trailed, and Jason grunted weakly, resolve weakening to a nonexistent whisp as he reached out to stroke Tim's hip. Whether for strength or in some kind of need, it wasn't clear to Jason anymore, but Tim didn't pull away.

"Like I'm drowning," Jason's breath shook with yearning as Tim's leg brushed gently over his, enticingly close to an invitation. God, did Jason want to take it and press up between those warm thighs. "Like..." He paused thoughtfully.

"Heaven and Hell all at once; the sweet torture of pleasure all around you until that final breath of pure...release."

"What's that quote from?" Tim chuckled weakly, sliding his fingers along Jason's neck and snaking into the threads of his hair.

"It's not a quote," Jason closed his eyes, leaning into the sinful touch. "That was just me." Tim's jaw fell, and Jason's eyes snapped open in a timeless moment to take in Tim's awestruck expression. Fuck, Jason was holding on by a damn  _thread_ ; god help him, Tim was going to be the very death of him.

" _Jay_ ," Tim whispered reverently, and to hell with it, Jason gave in. He leaned forward with a groan, drowning the boy's lips with his own in a hungry kiss. Tim gasped once, then moaned, lips lingering for a beat before licking inside eagerly. Tim was responsive like last time, and fuck, Jason shivered and arched because he  actually got to _taste_ him again. Tim whined and tightened his grip in Jason's hair, making Jason keen and squeeze the boy's hips, tugging him closer.

Then, well. Jason's hands may or may not have taken a few liberties, drifting reverently down Tim's back and kneading hungrily into the curves of his glutes. He could feel Tim hardening against his hip, and was sure Tim could feel him, already aching stiff, because suddenly Tim was whimpering and rolling his hips against him.

"Fuck," Jason hissed, reacting on instinct and leaning down to bite Tim's neck in encouragement.

Tim whimpered, wrapping his legs around Jason's waist and bucking eagerly and explicitly against him. "God, yeah, ride me just like that baby," Jason panted enthusiastically, pressing frantic kisses against the boy's skin. A strange noise gurgled in Tim's throat, and Jason pressed a searing, soothing kiss against Tim's lips. 

"I want you," Tim practically shivered against him, nose brushing along Jason's cheek before burying his face into Jason's shoulder, grinding again. Fireworks (or was that his pulse? He couldn't tell) fucking exploded in Jason's veins, and it was music to his ears. There was nothing he wanted more on this earth right now more than he wanted Tim.

"Really?" Jason breathed in awe. Was Tim being serious right now? As much as he treasured his first time, Tim really wanted  _Jason_ to- He could hardly believe it. "God, you can _have_ me. Tim, I-"

"Jay, I want you so badly," Tim sniffed, clutching Jason's shirt tightly and still hiding his face. Was he...crying? Uh oh.

Tim let his legs fall gently, and Jason blinked back a wave of increasing unease. "I wish I could have you, I wish I could give you  _everything_ ," he cried, pulling back and wiping at his eyes. Fuck. Yeah, those were definitely tears. The moment was fleeting, fading fast and far too short lived. Tim was spiraling, and the emotional whiplash made Jason actually wanted to die inside.

"Tim, I'm right here, I-. I'm already _yours_ ," Jason sank back heavily in disbelief. "All you have to do is ask."

"And break up with Kon," Tim returned miserably, pulling away to let his face fall in hand. Jason suddenly froze in shock. Then that sinking feeling he had turned to full blown nausea, blood chilling, and any hope he'd had left went up in smoke. Maybe that was why Jason couldn't help but scoff bitterly and turn away.

"Right, of course. Because you love  _him_ so much."

A beat passed, and the boy's shock was palpable.

"Are you really...  _mocking_ me right now?" Tim squawked, wide-eyed in disbelief. Jason's heart panged painfully, and he almost,  _almost_ apologized. But then he saw Tim reach for that damn promise ring for some kind of comfort, and... _fuck_.

"No, I'm mocking the _other_  love-torn damsel," Jason quipped sarcastically, laying back down and viciously turning his back so he wouldn't have to see Tim's face. For a long moment, Tim didn't say a word. Hell, Jason hardly heard him breathe.

Then, a quiet whisper of "How could you say that?"

"How can _you_ keep choosing  _him_?" Jason shot back, letting some of his own pain bleed through as he whipped back around. "It's not like you _really_ love him. We've kissed  _twice_ , and you just told me how badly you wanted me. That you wished you could give me  _everything_ , remember?" Jason reminded, growing more indignant with every second. Tim recoiled like he was slapped.

"You think I don't-...but you're the one who kissed  _me_ ," Tim retaliated, jabbing his finger pointedly at Jason's chest.

"So? Tell me you didn't want me to," Jason retorted with a growl. "Tell me you weren't asking me personal,  _sexual_ questions and, and _touching_ me, and kissing me  _back_. You told me... you _said_ you wanted me!" Tim was blushing furiously now, and conflicted, angry tears were welling in those baby blues, but he said nothing in his defense this time.

"I love him, Jason," Tim managed weakly.

"Yeah, but you cheated on him. With _me_. And you lied about it to his face," Jason frowned pointedly

"Why are you just _now_ getting so angry about it? I thought we were passed this," Tim furrowed his brows desperately.

"Passed what, feeling something for each other?" Jason insisted, almost cringing in disgust at Tim's guilty wince. "I thought I could take being rejected, okay? Once was hard enough, but hey, I got it, it was a _fluke_. But  _fuck_ , now it's the second time in a week?! Way to lead me on by a string. I can't help but _wonder_ , are you gonna lie to him about it this time, too? Are you gonna keep lying to _yourself_?!"

"God, you're such a jack ass," Tim wiped a streaming tear way with a thick sniff. "I only lied in the first place so he wouldn't kick your  _ass_ , Jason," he threw back coldly. Awesome, Jason thought, that Tim had zero faith that Jason could defend himself.  "I lied because I thought we took care of it. Because we agreed to move on. To be  _friends_."

"Yeah, here we are, such great _buddies_ ," Jason scoffed sarcastically. "I wish you  _would_ tell Kon the truth, I wish I could see his face when he finds out his trophy boyfriend wants to fuck another guy," Jason spat, and Tim choked in betrayal.

" _What_ did you just call me?" Tim snarled in outrage.

"I called you a trophy boyfriend," Jason repeated unapologetically. "Have you seen the way he treats you? He's always got you on his arm  pea-cocking you around school and treating you like some kind of fucking novelty. He basically admitted you're his personal twink, Tim. He's just dating you because you're his  _kink_ -" Tim cut him off by crossing the distance and slapping him clean and _hard_ across the cheek. Jason hissed at the sting and touched the burning skin with his two forefingers. Yeah...he maybe deserved that.

"How dare you," Tim hissed. Jason groaned now, and worked his jaw back and forth to ease the muscles in his cheek. "Y'know, it's funny you think  _Kon's_ the one objectifying me when you're the one throwing a fit because I wouldn't fuck you!"

Jason froze, the weight of the words slamming into him like a freight train. God, is that really what Tim- Had Jason _actually_ just been  _that_ guy? Fuck... he couldn't tell which part of him stung worse after that.

"Fine, okay," Jason threw his hands up heavily in surrender. "I'm an asshole, but you're the one who was literally panting about how much you wanted me. But- God, Tim, you're so far in denial, it's unreal."

"Deni- Jason, I'm not stupid, I know how I feel, I'm just trying to keep a commitment! I want to do what's _right_ , why is that so hard to understand?" Tim's arms uncrossed, waving exasperatedly as he vented his frustration. Jason stilled at the words, clenching and unclenching his fists, before he heaved a final, drained sigh.

"Why is this- why am I the _wrong_ choice?! I mean... would it really be so hard...to choose me?" Jason murmured numbly. Tim's arms slackened, and his rigid expression turned to pain again. "Am I that bad?"

"No, Jay, you're not- please, don't do that," Tim objected wearily, scrubbing his hands over his face. "You're better than self pity."

Jason rolled his eyes and fell silent. Tim was right on that...he was supposed to have outgrown self-pity years ago. He dealt with it when his father decided he didn't want Jason around, he sucked it up when he was in and out of juvie for doing what he had to do, and he never once let himself crack when he had to sell himself on the street. So why was he so stuck on this privileged little sophomore who wanted him but wouldn't be with him? Maybe  _Jason_ was the novelty here...like a twisted version of My Fair Lady. He was just a rich boy's god damn mistress.

"You know what, you're 100% right," Jason nodded tonelessly before sitting up and reaching for his bags.

"Wait, w-what are you doing?" Tim's voice shook as he, too, moved to sit upright.

"I'm outta here," Jason replied deadpanned.

" _What_?" Tim gaped in shock. "It's like...4 in the morning, can't you wait until tomorrow? I'm dropping you at work in like-"

"I'll walk," Jason cut him off curtly as he pulled on his socks and sneakers. He'd get there a few hours early, but maybe Rhonda would let him clock in and put in some overtime. He just had to get the hell away from here, from- from-

"But-"

"No, Tim, I'm done," Jason snapped, reaching inside the backpack to pull out his jacket and yank it on over his shoulders. "I don't wanna play this game anymore. I can't just be friends with you like this. I _want_ you. Hell, I'm goddamn crazy about you-" _Literally_ , almost, "-but I don't wanna be some Side Piece interfering in your relationship, and I'm tired of hiding in fucking shame. If you really want me, then  _choose_ me," Jason insisted, glaring desperately down into Tim's breathless baby blues that almost made him weak. "Please," he added, reaching out longingly as if to stroke Tim's chin before biting himself back. "I'm asking you... choose _me_."

Tim opened his mouth and closed it again several times, with multiple expressions flickering rapidly across his face. Jason waited a solid twenty seconds before finally sighing and dropping his hand back to his side.

"That's what I thought," he muttered grimly, standing to his feet and pulling his backpack up to his shoulder.

"Don't go," Tim suddenly choked out, and Jason winced.

"I can't stay," Jason shook his head, fighting the lump in his throat furiously. "We both deserve to be happy... and for you, if that means Kon, then... it's better if I'm not around. I'm done making us both fucking miserable." Tim was crying again, and Jason's own eyes were burning despite his attempts to stifle it.

"What about Dick?" Tim hiccoughed. "He can- he's a good guy, I thought it'd be easier between us now that you're w-with someone like _him_."

"I knew it," Jason muttered darkly to himself, rolling his eyes up to the ceiling. Of course he'd find out Tim cared about the Dick thing right _now_. "Tim, we're not together...yet, I guess. I only agreed to go out with him because you asked."

"So what, you're...not gonna go out with him now? What if he h-helps you? Helps _us_?" Tim strangled out shrilly. Jason considered it for a moment. Honestly, the last thing he wanted to do was go on a date later tonight with no sleep and broken pride, but... Dick was already set to pick him up later, and it's not like he had a phone to call it off. Maybe Dick would understand and give him a ride home, Jason thought. Or maybe Dick would be a nice change of pace; he was sweet enough, and already knew about his thing for Tim anyway, so it's not like Jason had anything left to lose.

"I don't think that's a question either of us really want answered," Jason finally snapped as guarded as possible. Seriously, the last thing he needed was another figure in this stupid, complicated enough love triangle. The smart thing would just be to walk away, make it a clean break. That way, all four of them would have a fair chance in their respective... _relationships_ , if that was the word. So that's what Jason did; turned away and walking toward the door. He almost froze when he saw Stephanie propped up on her elbow, staring at him, wide awake in horrified disbelief. 

 _Fuck_. Now there was no coming back from this.

"I'm so sorry, Steph," he whispered earnestly to her, to which she either didn't or couldn't respond. So he squared himself up, readjusting his bag before forcing himself out the door.

He tried not to die inside when he heard Tim sob.


End file.
